Changing the Future
by supernaturalkissed
Summary: Before the car accident with the Dragomir's, they recieve the vampire academy books to read. Including special guest stars. **I know that this has been done before, but this is different and has Lissa's family in it. Please give it a chance!**
1. Chapter 1

**Changing The Future**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Summary- Before the car accident that killed Lissa's family, they receive books from the future. **

*****Author's note- I know that this has been done before, but this one is going to be different. Also ages might not be correct, and personalities for Lissa family, or how the girls acted before the car accident. Also Dimitri and Rose will not be in any sort of realtionship, just a possible friendship.*****

* * *

**Third person point of view**

Fourteen year old, Rose Hathaway, was sitting in her dorm room finishing the last part of her homework before it was due tomorrow. She hated her math homework. She thought that it was nonsense and a waist of time.

A loud knock alerted her as someone was at her door. She got off of her bed, and made her way to the door. She unlocked the lock and opened the door.

A man with light brown hair, and hazel eyes was standing their. He was slightly muscular looking. He had on a guardian uniform, but she had never seen him here before.

"Are you Miss Rosemarie Hathaway?" asked the guardian, as he looked at a sheet of paper.

"Yes," Rose replied. "Is their something wrong?"

The guardian shook his head. "No miss, but I do need you to follow me."

Rose crossed her arms over her chest, as she told him, "Not until you tell me your name!"

"Guardian Moss, now please follow me."

"Fine," Rose sighed.

The guardian lead her out of the dhampir dorms and into the warm air of outside. He lead her to the visitors building off to the side, and up to the second floor, where their was several conference rooms.

_Why the hell would he bring me here? _Rose asked herself.

"Here you go, Miss Hathaway," said Guardian Moss, as he opened the door to conference room number two. He pushed her inside, and closed the door with a click.

Rose turned around and noticed that their was several couches and some people sitting on them. She saw Lissa, Andrea, Eric, and Rhea from the Dragomirs. Her mother, which she narrowed her eyes upon seeing. Their also was two unknown Moroi and a tall dhampir that she had never seen before.

Rose sat down beside Lissa on the empty space. Ignoring her mother, she asked Lissa, "Do you know why we are here?"

"No idea," said Lissa, as she looked around the room. "I was wondering the same thing myself."

Rhea Dragomir, who is like a mother towards Rose, moved over towards the girls. "Hi Rose! How are you?"

"Fine, Mrs. Dragomir," Rose responded politely.

Janine Hathaway was silently fuming. She was upset that her own daughter didn't acknowledge her presence. She was upset that her own daughter hated her, even thought it was technically her fault. The man beside her, grabbed her hand for comfort.

The conference room door opened one last time. A woman with graying hair entered. Her blue eyes lit up as she entered the room. She was a Moroi, and was older than anyone in the room.

"Welcome everyone to conference room number two," the woman said, giving everyone a small smile. "You all were brought here for a reason. Before I get to that reason, I want to make sure everyone is here?"

Her blue eyes looked towards the Dragomir's. "Eric, Rhea, Andre, and Lissa of the Dragomir's are here correct." They all nodded theirs heads.

The Moroi woman put a check mark next to their names. "Rose Hathaway, Janine Hathaway, and Abe Mazur are here correct." All three of them nodded.

Rose wondered why that guy's name's was mentioned with her and her mother's name. She was staring at him, wondering why he was even here.

The Moroi woman continued with her list, "Next we have Ivan Zeklos and Guardian Dimitri Belikov." The last two guys nodded. They both were wondering why they were here.

"Excuse me, but why the hell are we here?" Rose asked, angrily.

"Rosemarie, language!" Exclaimed her mother, as Rose rolled her eyes.

The Moroi woman ignore them. "Their will be more people coming into this room later. Right now you were brought here to read the future, to try and save it . The books are mainly about Rose and Lissa, and they are in Rose's point of view."

The Moroi woman put six books on top of a coffee table, before she left the room. No one moved from their spot. Janine rolled her brown eyes, and got up from her spot of the couch. She picked up the first book of the series.

"I think we should each read a chapter," Janine stated, as she looked at her daughter. "I will go first."

As she started flipping the pages of the book, Ivan said, "Miss Hathaway, can you please read the back of the book first?"

**Lissa Dragomir is a mortal vampire. She must be protected at **_**all **_**times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all – the ones who will never die.**

**Rose Hathaway is Lissa's best friend – and her bodyguard.**

"No shit," exclaimed Rose. She turned towards Lissa. "I would always protect her. She is my sister."

"Thanks, Rose," said Lissa, as she smiled at her best friend. Eric and Rhea Dragomir smiled at the two girls. They were thankful that their daughter had someone as dedicated as Rose.

**Now, after two years of illicit freedom, they've been dragged back inside the iron gates of St. Vladimir's Academy.**

"We left the academy?" Lissa asked Rose, confused.

"I guess so," said Rose, wondering the same thing.

Andre frowned, "Nobody leave the academy, unless their moving to a different one."

The adults frowned at this. Why would their children be out of the safety of the school's wards?

**The girls must survive a world of forbidden romances,**

The adults were not happy about that sentence.

**a ruthless social scene and terrifying night-time rituals.**

Rose and Lissa gave each other a smile, happy about having a social life.

**But above all, they must _never _let their guard down, lest the immortal vampires take Lissa – forever…**

Rose looked at her best friend, "I will never let that happen to you."

"I know, Rose," said Lissa. "And I wont let anything happen to you, either."

Both of their parents smiled at the two girls, they were both proud of them. Andre was sitting their silently, fuming with his own jealousy. He wished to have a dhampir friend like his younger sister.

"Now on to the first chapter," said Janine.

**"Chapter 1"**

**I felt her fear before I heard her screams.**

Everyone stared at the book. Why would Rose be able to feel Lissa Fear?

"How is that possible?" Eric asked.

Abe rubbed his beard. "I don't know, but it might be in the books."

**Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me.**

Rose looked to the floor, as she cheeks gained a little color. She didn't want her mother to hear about this. That is something she would dream about.

Janine sighed, as she shook her head. She hoped Rose would turn out differently then she did. She didn't like how this book was going so far.

**Images – hers, not mine – tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car.**

Rose and Lissa both started to shivering. They really didn't like were this book was going.

**The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't my dream.**

"How is it possible that Rose is seeing Lissa's dream?" questioned Andre.

Dimitri was reminded of a a family friend in Russia. It almost sounded like they had a bond.

**I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead. Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us. **

"Looks like you guys are sharing a room," said Andre, crinkling his nose.

"**Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up." Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh God."**

Andre looked confused for a moment. "Why would you be saying my name, Lissa?"

"I don't know," said Lissa. "This didn't happen yet."

"Oh," he said, as his green eyes widened.

**After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair.**

Janine was shocked that her daughter was so caring towards her best friend. From all of the paperwork she received from the school over the years, she wouldn't think that her daughter had a nice bone in her body.

Rose saw her mother giving her a weird look. She rolled her eyes, "I can be nice, you know."

Janine glowered at her daughter, "Well I wouldn't know that, Rose, with receiving several reports from the school."

"Maybe you should have visited more often." Rose snapped.

Janine glared at her fourteen year old daughter. "I have a job to do, Rose. You don't need to be coddled like a toddler."

"You know what..." Lissa elbowed Rose, giving her a look. Rose sighed, before saying, "Whatever."

"**It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

"**I had that dream."**

"**Yeah. I know."**

**We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, out housemates cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window.**

Andre folded his hands together, as he remembered their first kitten. He was planning on getting his younger sister a cat, and know he knows for sure.

**He gave me a wide berth—animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason – but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.**

Eric Dragomir was appreciative towards the cat. He didn't like when his daughter was feeling down.

"**When did we last do a feeding?" I asked, studying her face.**

"Rosemarie Hathaway!" Screamed Janine at her daughter. She glared at her daughter. "You will not become a blood whore."

Rose glared at her mother, "I'm not going to be blood whore. I never will be. But if someone Moroi that I deeply care about is in dire need of blood then I will happily to give them some."

Ivan stared at Rose. He was highly impressed with her dedication at such a young age. He knew that Dimitri was similar to her, but not that dedicated.

Dimitri was impressed with the young dhampir, and her sense of dedication. He just didn't know why he was reading about her life, or the fact that Zemy was sitting in the same room, too.

Abe Mazur was very happy with his daughter. He hoped that it will be reviled in the books that he is her father.

**Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood. "It's been like… more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"**

**She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to - ."**

"**Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer,leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance. "Come on. Let's do this."**

"**Rose –"**

"**Come **_**on**_**. It'll make you feel better."**

Janine narrowed her eyes, and muttered, "It seems like you wanted the bite."

Unfortunately, not low enough as seeing all of the Moroi heard her. The Dragomir's, Ivan, and Abe were pissed off. Their eyes narrowed at her. Lissa and Abe were the two that were extremely angry.

"How dare you say something like that to your daughter," Lissa said, as her voice held all the anger she had for her.

Janine's eyes widened, "Y-you heard-d t-that."

"Yes," snapped Lissa. Her mood was getting darker. "She is not addicted! She never gave anyone blood!"

The people in the room were shocked. Lissa's family never saw her yelling at no one. Rose gently grabbed her best friends arm, "Liss, please calm down. The books will prove her wrong."

Lissa sighed, knowing that her friend was right, although she didn't want to admit to that. "Sorry," she said, quietly.

Janine continued reading.

**I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans.**

"Why do we always keep them hidden among our kind, too?" Andre questioned.

"I don't know, son," said Eric. "That is just how it is."

Rhea rolled her eyes at her husband. "I guess that the Moroi are use to hiding their fangs from humans that they don't realize that they are doing near any Moroi."

**Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blonde hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire.**

"Awe," said Lissa, as she turned towards Rose. A light blush went across her face. "Thanks, Rose, but that is a little bit inaccurate. I don't look like an angle."

"Yes, you do," said Rose, sternly.

**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation. I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake. **

_This proved my point, _Janine thought. _The way she sounds so addicted to the bite would suggest her becoming a blood whore. _

Rose winced. So far she didn't like the sound of her future.

**Her fangs bit into me, hard and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high.**

"Drunk or high!" Janine and Abe yelled at the same time.

Rose winced again, as she narrowed her eyes at her parents. "This book is in the future. I haven't done any drugs or alcohol."

They sat back down, not liking the mistake their daughter makes in the future.

Rose wondered why that man wanted to know if she was ever drunk or high? Her mother's protective behavior was also noticeable, and quite strange.

**Better than sex—or so I imagined, since I'd never done it.**

"And you better not, for several more years," Abe muttered, with an underline threat.

**It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was.**

**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute.**

"Good," all of the adults said. They were glad that that part of the book was over.

**She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"**

"**I . . . yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss.**

"**I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."**

"Your not fine," said Andre. "Your just to stubborn to admit it."

Rose responded accordingly as she stuck out her tongue.

**Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat."**

"Smart," Ivan said. "She gave you some of her blood, it was the at least you could do."

"True," said Lissa, "Although, since this is in the future, that's is probably why I have done it."

**My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window.**

"**You don't know what you're missing," I told him.**

"Um, Rose," said Andre, "Did you know that you are talking to the cat?"

"Really, I didn't notice that," Rose said sarcastically. "I thought it was the window."

Janine rolled her eyes, "Sarcasm will get you no where in life."

"Whatever," Rose said, flipping her brown hair back.

**His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching.**

"Looks like someone is angry," Rose muttered to Lissa. Lissa let out a little chuckle.

**My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun,**

"It always spin's, Rose," Ivan said.

Rose crossed her arms, and huffed.

**and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar. He eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention.**

Everyone's attention was on the book. They were all getting into it.

**A warm breeze—unseasonably warm for a Portland**

"Why would you be in Portland?" Questioned Rhea.

Rose and Lissa shared a look. "We don't know."

**fall — played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months**

"You have been their for six months?" Dimitri questioned. He was used to being quiet, as the others looked surprised.

**sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a streetlight flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes. **

**And a man watching me.**

Everyone was looking at each other nervously. Why were the two teenage girls being watched, went through all of the adult's minds.

Rose and Lissa looked at each other, before Rose said, "What! The, fuck!"

"Who would be watching us?" Lissa asked.

"I don't know," said Rose, fidgeting in her seat.

**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I probably could have thrown something and hit him.**

"Really, Rose," said Janine, to her only child.

"It sounds like something that I would do," Rose mumbled.

**He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done.**

**The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall.**

All of the people in the room, looked towards Dimitri, as seeing he is very tall. Dimitri was uncomfortable with all of the stares, before he was going to say something, Rose spoke up.

"Guys, stop staring," said Rose. "He doesn't look very comfortable."

They returned to reading the books.

**He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both. Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them.**

"If the cat didn't like him, then obviously the person is not safe," said Ivan.

**Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger.**

All of the dhampirs were in alarm.

**The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.**

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me.**

Some of the worry disappeared out of the dhampirs and adult Moroi's, but not all of them.

**Icy fear raced through me, almost—but not quite—eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite. Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process.**

"At least you have steady yourself before falling," Dimitri said.

**Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door. Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book. Lissa regarded me with surprise.**

"**You shouldn't be up."**

"**We have to go. Now."**

"Where are you two going?" asked Andre.

"How do we know," said Lissa. "This didn't happen yet."

"Oh," said Andre. "I wasn't thinking."

"Like that is a first," said Rose, playfully.

Andre faked glared at her, but amusement shown in his jade-green eyes.

**Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you . . . really? Are you sure?" I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did. **

**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"**

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."**

**He looked back and forth between us. "What are you—" Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond,**

"What psychic bond!" yelled everyone in the room, except Dimitri.

"This is something that needs to be discussed," said Eric, wondering what is going on with his daughter and the girl he thinks of as another daughter.

**but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust.**

"You are, Rose," said Lissa. "I will always have your trust."

"I don't deserve it," Rose muttered.

**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly.**

"Compulsion," said Eric, staring at his daughter.

"**We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice.**

"**Where are your keys?"**

**He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong.**

"Yes it is," said Janine. "which is why it shouldn't be used."

Everyone ignored her, so she sighed and continued reading.

**Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain.**

"**Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"**

"**Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.**

"**Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight."**

"You can do that?" asked Abe, as he rubbed his mustache.

Lissa looked around the room nervously, most of them looked like they also wanted the answer. She sighed, before saying, "Yes, I'm able to do hardcore compulsion."

"Interesting," said Abe. "Very interesting."

"Don't get any idea's, old man." Rose told him.

"I'm not, little girl," said Abe.

Rose rolled her brow eyes at him. She hated being treated as a child.

**He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked.**

"That strong?" Rhea asked her daughter.

"Yes," said Lissa, she turned to glare at Rose. "Not that I would ask anyone to walk off of a cliff."

**All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now.**

"At least it is good for something," said Andre.

"**Come on," I told her. "We've got to move."**

**We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a few times to stop me from falling.**

Dimitri frowned. "That's not good if you can't run properly."

"No shit," said Rose.

"Language," said Janine.

**All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with.**

"So the great Rose Hathaway has fears," said Andre.

"Yes," said Rose. "Everyone has fears."

"**Rose . . . what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.**

"**They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them."**

"**But if they've found us—"**

"**They found us before. They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."**

"Someone found uses before," said Rhea. "Who are after you girls?"

"I don't know," said Rose. "But they won't like me, when I find out."

**I made it sound simple.**

"Don't you always," stated Andre. Rose ignored him.

**I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school.**

"Maybe this will finally tell us why use two have been on the run," said Rhea, her voice thick with worry.

"I agree," said Janine.

_Why the hell would she care, _Rose thought, bitterly. _It is not like she cares about me. She abandoned me, at birth. _

**Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom. She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more.**

"I will always have faith in you Rose," said Lissa.

"Thank you, Liss."

**This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened— sometimes recklessly so.**

"It gets things done faster," Rose stated.

"Not all of the time," said Dimitri.

**She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate.**

"Rose always has been reckless," Janine stated. "Even when she was a younger child."

**Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-old to spell _Vasilisa Dragomir _and _Rosemarie Hathaway _was beyond cruel, and we'd—or rather, _I'd_—responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target.**

"That is how you became friends," stated Janine, surprised. She always wondered why Lissa was friends with her. One was very nice, but her daughter was a different story.

**Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.**

"**Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.**

**It took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go.**

"**We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm.**

"**But you can't—"**

"_**Run**_**."**

**It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete.**

"Rose," said Andre, trying to be serious. "It is not a good sign when you are talking to your muscles. I think you might be loosing your mind."

"I'm fine, Dr. Andre," stated Rose. "I have nothing wrong with me. I'm perfectly healthy."

**Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort—particularly since she was barefoot—**

Lissa playfully glared at her, but she was upset about using no shoes.

**but tonight, she was all that held me upright. The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes.**

"Not good," said all of the women. The men were just as nervous, they just didn't show it.

**Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it—**

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was _him_, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me.**

"Stalker," Andre muttered.

**He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven. And under different circumstances— say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape—I would have thought he was hot.**

"Seriously, Rose," said Lissa. "Only you would think of something like that, at the worst possible times."

"My mind constantly thinks random thoughts at different times," said Rose, shrugging.

"What type of logic is that," said Ivan.

"My logic," Rose responded.

**Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat—a duster, I thought it was called.**

"You know what a duster is?" questioned Andre.

"Yes," said Rose, shrugging his shoulders.

**But his hotness was irrelevant now.**

"That's a first," commented

**He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many.**

"You two must be wanted," complimented Abe, with what sounded like pride in his voice.

**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct.**

"Of coarse you would, Rose," said Lissa. "You always would."

**I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader. **

"**Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her."**

"Very protective," praised Janine.

**His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.**

"You are an animal, Rose," said Andre, with a glint in his jade-green eyes.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Were all animals, Andre. We have instincts."

"**I'm not going to—"**

**He took a step forward. Too close. I attacked him,**

"Differently something you would do, Rose," said Lissa.

**leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away.**

"Nobody ever ran away from the academy," said Andre.

"Maybe we are legends," whispered Lissa excitedly.

"I know," responded Rose. "That would be awesome."

"Girls," Eric said, sternly.

"Yes, Daddy," said Lissa, sweetly.

Eric's heart melted at his daughter. Rhea on the other hand, said a stern, "Vasilisa."

**The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out.**

"You shouldn't of did that then," Janine expression.

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I don't think he meant to strike that hard—probably just intended to keep me away—but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A _lot_.**

Lissa put her hand over her heat, afraid of her friends safety. The others leaned forward in their seats. Rose on the other hand, started rubbing her hip.

**Only it didn't.**

"Thank god," said Lissa, hugging her best friend.

**Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me—or, more precisely, at my neck.**

"He is staring at your bite mark," said Ivan.

"Really, I didn't know that," snapped Rose.

**Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin.**

"Discussing," mumbled Rhea, scrunching up her nose.

**Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason.**

**The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold.**

"Of coarse I would," Rose mumbled.

"Are you talking to the book?" questioned Andre.

"Maybe," said Rose, sticking her tongue out at him. Andre turned his head to the side, a light pink blush covered his pale face.

**He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted.**

"That sounds so wrong, Rose," Janine stated.

"Everything I do sounds wrong to you," Rose told her, with a small glare.

Janine huffed, clearly annoyed before she started reading again.

**Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."**

"Thank you, Lissa," said Janine. "Knowing Rose, she would have tried to attack again."

"Your welcome," she said, hesitantly.

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion—she wouldn't use that on me—but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed.**

"You should stop fight while your at it," said Abe. "Save your energy."

**Even I knew struggling would be pointless.**

"See," Abe pointed out.

**The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat. Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height.**

Rose's eyes landed on Dimitri's. Somehow she knew that he was the guy.

**"My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."**

"Well the first chapter is done," said Janine.

Rose shifted uncomfortable in her seat. She didn't want her thoughts to be read out loud, even if it is from the future.

"I will," said Rhea, taking the book from Janine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Rose's point of view**

My absent mother, handed the book over to Rhea Dragomir. Most of the time I wish my mother was like her, but that would never happen, at least for me.

I just wanted to get the books done and over with them. Even thought that this is the future me, I still don't like my thoughts read out loud.

"Chapter Two," said Rhea, holding the book tightly in her hands.

** My hatred notwithstanding, I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart.**

"My last name is not that hard to pronounce," said Dimitri, offended. "And hatred, really. You don't even know me."

My dark brown eyes narrowed at him, "If their was a reason why we left in the first place and your bring us back, then yes I will probably hate you."

"At least she said that you were smart, Dimitri," stated Ivan, pointing that out to his best friend.

"True," added Dimitri, with a half-smile on his face. I just rolled my eyes at him.

** After they'd carted us off to the airport and onto the Academy's private jet, he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.**

"Probably planing an escape," stated André.

Eric nodded his head at his oldest child. "I think that anyone who knows these two well enough would see that."

The adult's gestured in agreement.

"**Don't let them talk to each other," he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."**

**I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle.**

"You always have that look when your pissed off," said Lissa, casually.

"Really, I didn't know that,"

**Never mind the fact we _had _been planning escape. **

"Told you,"mumbled André.

"We know, André," said Lissa, rolling her eyes at her brother.

**As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes—or heroines, rather.**

"Thinking highly of yourself, Rose," Janine said with a shake of her head.

"I'm not the only one," mumbled Rose.

"What did you say, Rose?" Janine Demanded.

"Nothing," I told her, glaring. I wasn't going to tell her what I really think about her.

**Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane.**

"That would never happen," stated Abe.

"They would tackle you down before you get up from your seat," said Janine.

"It was only a thought," I stated to them. "Not like my actually future self would do that."

"Rose is right," said Lissa, defusing the situation.

** I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.**

"Or in a forest, or on the top of someone's house, or..."

"André, we get it," said Lissa. "They would be a lot of outcomes."

** No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians.**

**Yeah. No problem.**

"Always doubting yourself, Rose," said Eric, with a shake of his head.

"Not all the time," I mumbled.

**Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy,**

"So now I'm the Russian guy," stated Dimitri, with narrow eyes.

"So," I said, slowly. "It was not like I said that to your face."

**her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back _there_, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn't care.**

"I probably would have," said Dimitri to the book.

"Your talking to a book," I pointed out to him.

"Oh," he said, stupidly.

** As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat—in her _skin _even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head.**

"What!" Lissa and I screamed at the same time.

"This is defendant something we should look into," said Eric.

"Agreed," stated Rhea.

"Unless there is an undiscovered element at play," stated Ivan.

"Let's just read the book and find out, okay." I told them, before they went into an in-depth conversation about it.

** Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand_—her _hand_—_gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: _molnija _marks.**

"So Dimitri," I said. "How many molnija marks do you have now?"

"Four," he stated.

My eyes widen along with Lissa's.

**They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an _X _symbol. One for each Strigoi he'd killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark.**

"Why do they even look like that?" I asked, no one in general.

All of the adults in the room looked at each other. My mother turned towards me, "I don't know, but that is how it always has been for centuries."

**Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised.**

"So, it seems that you can't control the slipping into her mind," mused André.

"This is genuinely something we should find out," said Abe, as he stared at me.

**She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened.**

"Really, Rose," said Lissa, glaring at me.

"Sorry," I said, with a shrug of my shoulders. "But this hasn't happened yet."

**Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this.**

"What if those stories weren't legends?" asked Rhea.

"Who knows," said Dimitri. "They could be. At least some of them."

**We fumbled through it as best we could.**

"That is something Rose, likely would do," André pointed out. "Not you, Lissa."

"Shut up, André," said Lissa.

**Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absent mindedly.**

**Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, "Were you really going to attack all of us?"**

"Yes, you would," responded André and Lissa at the same time.

"How would you two know?" asked my mother.

Lissa looked her dead in the eye. "We know her."

**I didn't answer.**

"I guess you didn't answer," pouted André.

"**Doing that . . . protecting her like that—it was very brave."**

"No, it wasn't!" Screeched my mother. "It was very stupid."

**He paused. "**_**Stupid**_**, but still brave. Why did you even try it?"**

"See," Janine pointed out. "Even Guardian Belikov thinks so."

"Whatever," I mumbled underneath my breath. I was in no mood to even argue with her.

**I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian." I turned back toward the window.**

From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother roll her eyes at me. "Your not a guardian yet."

**After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet.**

"Awe, Rosie, it looks like he wants to get away from you," said André.

I glared at him, "Don't call me Rosie!"

**When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree.**

"Really, Rose," said Janine, with a sigh. "It's common to have the guardian's asking questions like that."

**After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset—the start of the vampiric day—and the campus lay wrapped in shadows. It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic.**

"That's how it always looks," said Lissa.

"I know," I told her. "But can't they add some color, brighten up the place. It looks very depressing."

**The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them.**

"They should change," said Lissa. "Everything should change once in a while."

"But it's tradition," stated Ivan.

"I know," said Lissa, turning towards him. "But, look at the changing world. We should change with them. I'm not saying to chance everything, but some things need to be changed."

**This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style.**

"They should change the style," I told them. "Why would every building want to be the same? That's just not right."

**The buildings boasted elaborate, almost church-like architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school. We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century- old trees. **

"At least the trees fit in," joked André, as he winked at me.

"They sure did," I told him. "It went with the creepy factor that the school has going."

**We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite.**

"Segregation," mumbled Lissa, with a scowl on her face. The adults gave her a confused look. "What?" she asked. "Is their something on my face."

"No, Lissa," said André.

"I never heard you talking like that," stated Rhea.

"I just hate how the dhampirs are treated," stated Lissa, proudly. "They are living, breathing, people. They shouldn't just give up the rest of their lives to look after us."

"What about protection?" asked Ivan.

Lissa sighed, "The Moroi have magic, dhampirs don't. We have an advantage. We should be able to us our gifts instead of taking the easy way out."

Many of the adults were looking at her with pride. Hell, even I was.

**Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west. Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space.**

André turned towards me, "Really, Rose. Where in the middle of nowhere so of course they will be space."

"I know," I stated.

**We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city.**

"See," I pointed out to him. "I know that we're not in the city."

**The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves.**

Lissa scrunched up her nose, "did you really have to describe it, Rose?"

**Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance. As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri. "Hey, Comrade."**

"Why did you call me that?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know," I told him. "but it might be in the books."

**He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now?**

"**Are you taking us to Kirova?"**

"_**Headmistress **_**Kirova," he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, **_**Don't start something**_**. "Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old**

**bit—"**

"She still is," André and I said at the same time. We shared a look before turning back to the book. I could feel his eyes following me.

**My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors—straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people _really _so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons.**

"I would have done the same thing," my mother said.

I just rolled my eyes at her. "Talk about embarrassing," I muttered to Lissa.

"I know," she whispered back.

**And it was breakfast time. Novice guardians—dhampirs like me—and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us.**

"Of course they would," said Eric. "No one has ever left the academy before."

**I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before.**

"It seems like something never change," muttered André.

"André!" exclaimed Rhea in shock.

"You got to admit, honey, he is right," said Eric.

Rhea just shook her head at the two boys.

**And on the other side of the room . . . well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever—maybe more so now—with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well.**

"It sounds like you like him, Rosie," said André.

"No I don't," I stated. "That would be Lissa."

"Rose!" Lissa exclaimed, as her cheeks went a bit red.

**His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do.**

"Lissa!" exclaimed her mother horrified. "I would not expect that from you, your brother on the other hand."

"Your mother is right," Eric said.

"Hey!"

**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he'd become a pedophile during our absence.**

"Really, Rose," said Lissa. "He wouldn't do that."

"How would you know?" I asked her.

"I just know," she said, vaguely.

**With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me.**

"That doesn't happen very often," said André.

"What doesn't happen very often?" asked my mother.

"Rose being stunned," all the Dragomir's said at the same time.

**What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that.**

"That does sound like me," I said.

**Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting— Headmistress Kirova's office—didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture. I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office.**

"I know," said my mother. My head turned towards her. "I have received tons of letters from the school about your behavior."

**Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed.**

"They were just taking precaution," my mother stated.

**They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session.**

"That description fits her so well." I muttered.

Lissa just rolled her eyes at me.

**A deep, gentle voice stopped her. "Vasilisa."**

**Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room.**

"Your not doing a good job, Rosie," said André. I let out an agitated sigh.

**I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. _Prince _Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body.**

All of the Dragomir's were upset about this. I was more sympathetic towards him.

"**Uncle," she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip.**

**With a small smile, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose."**

"That was nice of him," said my mother.

**I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was.**

"Two times so far," said André. "This is a new record."

"Shut up!"

**He'd been sick when we left, but this—this was _horrible_. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age.**

"It sounds like he got worse," said Eric.

"I wish there was something we can do for him," said Rhea.

**Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king.**

**Although not technically her uncle—the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals—Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here.**

"At least you two are comfortable around him," said Eric.

**Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat. Time for the lecture. It was a good one—one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them.**

"She always had to use them on you," said André.

"You too," commented Rhea.

André looked ashamed, but then his face brightened.

**I swear that was the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually _liking _kids.**

"She does like kids," said Rhea. "She has two of them."

"She has kids," André, Lissa, and I said at the same time.

"Their adults now," she responded.

**The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility, reckless behavior, self-centeredness. . . . Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office.**

"They probably would have attacked you the minute you stood up," said Dimitri.

"I was thinking of it, not actually going to do it," I told him.

**But when the tirade shifted to me—well, that was when I tuned back in.**

"Geez, thanks Rose." Lissa said sarcastically.

"No, problem."

"**You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; **_**you **_**nearly enabled them to do it."**

"This really doesn't sound good," said Rhea. She was looking even more worried now than ever again.

"**Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."**

"Yeah, don't blame her," said André. "It was Lissa."

**Ms. Kirova _tsk_ed at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back.**

"**Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still **_**her **_**responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."**

"Rosie, is gonna snap," sang André.

"Shut up," I said.

**I snapped.**

"About time," said Lissa.

I glared at her.

"**I **_**did **_**do my duty!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone.**

"Yet," said all the Dragomir's. I rolled my eyes at them. I was glad that someone knows me so well.

**Yet.**

"**I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of **_**you**_**"—I made a sweeping gesture around the room—"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to." Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me.**

**Too late.**

"You got to control your anger," my mother said. "It will get you nowhere in life."

"Whatever," I said. "It is not like you care."

**Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her.**

**Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"**

"She does have a point girls," stated Eric.

"There is something going on," said Abe.

**I bit my lip.**

"There is something that you're not telling them," stated Rhea.

"How do you know?" question my mother.

"She bit her lip," responded Rhea.

"**I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."**

"What stunt?" Everyone exclaimed.

"**No, that's not—"**

"Always assuming," I said, with a shake of my head.

"**And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."**

"Discrimination," muttered Lissa, in anger.

**My cockiness dried up. "I . . . what?"**

**Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."**

"She not a guardian," said Janine.

"Not yet," I snapped back.

"**She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."**

"**But my parents—"**

"**I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."**

"I don't think we are alive," whispered Rhea, as she looked at her husband. A tear fell from her eyes.

"At least the children are alive," Eric whispered back to her.

"Actually, we only know that Lissa is alive," stated André.

**I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing.**

"**Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone?**

**Or maybe you'll send me off to my _father_?"**

Abe narrow his eyes at me. "Be careful on what your say little girl!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not afraid of you old man. It's not like your my father."

**Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it.**

"**Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."**

"Rose!" Exclaimed Lissa.

"What?"

"You shouldn't have said that," she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

"**Miss Hathaway," she hissed, "you are out of line."**

"**They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him.**

Abe turned towards him. "So you might know what is going on with them?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," Dimitri said. "Although, they do sound like a couple that I know in Russia."

**I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't. His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his.**

"My coat is not ridiculous," Dimitri said.

"It is," I stated.

**He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"**

**I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No . . . that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."**

"So it seems like she knows what happening also," said Eric.

"She always knows someone," said André.

"**It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."**

"Stalker," stated André.

"He was just doing his job," Rhea said.

**Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his.**

"**That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."**

"It also sound like he knows something," Abe said, while rubbing his beard.

"**The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri. "In the stories."**

**Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"**

I turned towards Dimitri. "You were helping me?"

"Yes," he said. "Why do you sound so shocked?"

"No one helps me, unless they know the real me," I stated while looking down at my lap.

**He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential—" **

"You just made a big mistake," stated André.

"**Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"**

"Sorry about my future self," I told him.

"No problem," he responded

"**Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her **_**sanctioned **_**guardian."**

"It looks like something also happened to me," said Ivan.

"**You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?"**

"Sorry about my future self, again." he just waved me off.

**That was pretty mean of me to say—particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent—but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign born. My dhampir mother was Scottish—red-haired, with a ridiculous accent—and I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get.**

"You won't look right with red hair," said Andre.

"I think I would look good with a different color hair," I told him.

"What about going bald?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I really like my hair."

"I think you would look weird with no hair," said Lissa.

"I know," I stated.

**Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and veryraw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."**

"Not true," said Eric. "Rose is a fast learner."

"**So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."**

"**Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."**

"**No, I won't," I argued. No one listened to me.**

"Awe, Rosie, is feeling left out," said André.

"**Then give her extra training sessions," he said.**

"That was a good suggestion," said Abe.

**They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope.**

"I would feel the same thing, Rose," Lissa said.

"**Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"**

**Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I—"**

Turning towards him once again, I said, "I'm I really that bad of a person you wouldn't want to spend time around me."

"No, it's...just that...I..."

"Calm down, Dimitri. I was just joking," I told him. He relaxed slightly.

**Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

**Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?**

"I think that it would be both," stated Dimitri.

"At least you told us," Lissa stated. "As seeing I was wondering the same thing just now."

"**Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."**

"Thank you," said Rhea.

"**And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"**

"**Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. **"**Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."**

"That is certainly true," my mother stated.

"That's because they want to take care of their kids," I whispered. "Not that you would know."

"I heard that, Rosemarie," she said.

"It's the truth."

**His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.**

**Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."**

"At least there is someone else sticking up for the girls," said Eric.

"I knew their was a reason why I liked him," said Abe.

**Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, _morning _and _afternoon _were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.**

**When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."**

"Girls," warned Rhea. "Lissa you shouldn't be using compulsion."

Eric leaned behind his wife, and gave Lissa and I a thumbs up.

"Don't encourage them, Eric," said Rhea.

_**Oh, Lissa**_**, I thought. ****_Be careful_. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous—particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening.**

"Good," said Abe. "If you were caught, that might not of helped Rose at all."

**I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed.**

"**If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line **_**once**_**, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before **_**and **_**after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent . . . away."**

"At least she is going to let you stay," said André. "But I seriously don't think that you will follow the rules."

**I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"**

"Rose, you should have kept your mouth shut," said Janine.

I just ignored her.

"**I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."**

"Rose, now you're destroying school property," said Andre, with a shake of his head.

**I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know.**

"I would have gone with you being an idiot," said André.

"No, that's you."

**Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.**

"Just take it already," said Ivan. "I want to know what happens."

"**Fine. I accept."**

"See," I said. "I can be good, if I want to."

"Not all the time," said Janine.

"You know what," I said, getting to the point of being pissed. "Why don't you go and..."

Suddenly the door opened up. Their stood...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Lissa's point of view**

Suddenly the door opened, and there stood...Mason Ashford. His red hair was all over the place. His blue eyes wondered around the room. I noticed his eyes went straight towards, Rose. I personally think they will be a good couple. Although, Rose wouldn't like me saying that to her.

"Why was I sent to this room?" he asked.

"We're reading books from the future," said Rose, as she rolled her eyes.

"Their in Rose's point of view." Andre pointed out.

"So," Rose drawled out. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I just thought he should know," said Andre.

"Who's reading next?" my mother asked, before an argument broke out.

"Andre can read," said Rose.

"Why me?" he responded.

"It seems that you are in a talkative mood," she said. "Besides, I know you want to read a glimpse from my wonderful mind."

"I..."

"Just read, Andre," said our father.

"Fine," he sighed, taking the book from our mothers hands. "Chapter three."

**Sending us straight to class after our meeting seemed beyond cruel,**

"It's not cruel, Rose," said Dimitri.

"Well, I don't think we had any sleep," she responded. "So, yes, it was cruel."

**but that's exactly what Kirova did.**

"That's why?" questioned Mason.

"What?" asked Rose.

"Of coarse you would think that it is cruel when it involves the bat," he said.

"Yes," she said, quickly.

**Lissa was led away, and I watched her go, glad the bond would allow me to keep reading her emotional temperature.**

I glared at Rose. "You make me sound like a since experiment."

"Sorry," she said, embarrassed.

T**hey actually sent me to one of the guidance counselor first. He was an ancient Moroi guy, one I remembered from before I'd left. I honestly couldn't believe he was still around. The guy was so freaking old, he should have retired. Or died.**

"Rosemarie!" Yelled Janine.

Rose glared at her mother. I could see the anger rising in her dark brown eyes. "Thinking something and doing it are two totally different things."

"That was still rude," Janine pointed out.

**The visit took all of five minutes.**

"You could have been their longer," said Andre.

"I know." Rose wined, dramatically.

**He said nothing about my return and asked a few questions about what classes I'd taken in Chicago and Portland.**

Mason turned his head at Rose. His blue eyes were unreadable as he spoke to her. "Rose, the counselor is not that friendly."

"What is your point, Mason?" she asked.

Mason sighed, "I really don't think he would be asking a student about their personal business."

"Oh," she said, as a bit of pink graced her tan skin. "It still would have been nice."

Mason pushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ears, then Andre continued reading.

**He compared those against my old file and hastily scrawled out a new schedule. I took it sullenly and headed out to my first class.**

_**1st Period Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques**_

_**2nd Period Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3**_

_**3rd Period Weight Training and Conditioning**_

_**4th Period Senior Language Arts (Novices)**_

—_**Lunch—**_

"One of the best parts of the day," said Rose, with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Of coarse, Rose," said Andre. "You would do anything for a chocolate covered doughnut."

"Really?" asked Ivan, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Don't even think about it!" threatened Abe, as he glared at the young Moroi.

"No-o, s-sir." Ivan stuttered out.

"Good," said Abe.

Rose looked at me, giving me the what-the-hell-just-happened look. I shrugged my shoulders at her.

_**5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology**_

_**6th Period Pre-calculus**_

_**7th Period Moroi Culture 4**_

_**8th Period Slavic Art**_

"Why can't we have a shorter day?" Rose questioned.

Janine rolled her eyes at her daughter, "It is a school. You go their to learn, not to socialize."

"Read, Andre." I ordered him, before they started to fight again.

**Ugh. I'd forgotten how long the Academy's school day was. Novices and Moroi took separate classes during the first half of the day, which meant I wouldn't see Lissa until after lunch—if we had any afternoon classes together.**

"I don't think they would put you two in the same classes, for the fear of running away again," said Dimitri.

Rose glared at him. "They might," she muttered. Under her breath she also said, "Unless he can see the future."

**Most of them were standard senior classes, so I felt my odds were pretty good. Slavic art struck me as the kind of elective no one signed up for, so hopefully they'd stuck her in there too.**

Andre, Rose, Mason, and I shared similar looks. We hated that class. It was boring, and a waste of time.

**Dimitri and Alberta escorted me to the guardians' gym for first period, neither one acknowledging my existence.**

"They were just doing their job, Rose," said Janine. Rose rolled her eyes, not paying attention to her.

**Walking behind them, I saw how Alberta wore her hair in a short, pixie cut that showed her promise mark and _molnija _marks. A lot of female guardians did this.**

Everyone's eyes landed on Janine. She had her guardian mask on, as we just stared at her. Her hair was short, and slightly curly.

Janine sighed, crossing her arms, she said, "Staring is rude."

**It didn't matter so much for me now, since my neck had no tattoos yet, but I didn't want to ever cut my hair.**

"Then you don't half to," said Dimitri. "Just wear it in a bun."

Rose had a thoughtful look on her face. "I think I will do that eventually."

**She and Dimitri didn't say anything and walked along almost like it was any other day. When we arrived, the reactions of my peers indicated it was anything but. They were in the middle of setting up when we entered the gym, and just like in the commons, all eyes fell on me. I couldn't decide if I felt like a rock star or a circus freak.**

Andre put the book down on his lap. With a serious face he turned to her, "Rose, you will never be a circus freak. A rock star, yes, but a circus freak no."

A smile landed on my best friend, "Thank's Andre."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mason shoot Andre a look of jealousy.

**All right, then. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I wasn't going to act afraid of them all anymore. Lissa and I had once held this school's respect, and it was time to remind everyone of that.**

"You always had the respect of the school, Rose," said Mason.

Rose smiled at him, giving him a silent thank. Andre looked at their exchange with a smirk on hi face.

**Scanning the staring, open mouthed novices, I looked for a familiar face. Most of them were guys. One caught my eye, and I could barely hold back my grin.**

"They don't have a lot of girls at your school?" questioned Ivan.

"No," said Rose. "Their is only some of us in my grade. But in the higher grades there is more."

"**Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."**

Rose looked towards Mason. "That would be something that you would say."

"I know," he told her, as a light blush covered his cheek bones.

Abe and Janine looked at Rose with disappointment in their eyes.

**A few snorts and snickers broke the awed silence, and Mason Ashford snapped out of his haze, giving me a lopsided smile. With red hair that stuck up everywhere and a smattering of freckles, he was nice-looking, though not exactly hot.**

"Nice looking, Rose," said Mason, as he pouted at her. "I'm not nice looking. I'm stunningly sexy."

Rose laughed at him, her brown eyes shinning with happiness. "You sure are, Mase."

**He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. We'd been good friends back in the day.**

"How old are you, Rosie?" asked Andre.

Rose glared at him. "Why?"

"Who says back in the day?" he asked. "Unless your old."

"Andre, you make no sense." I point out to him.

"So," Andre drawled out. "I know Rose understood what I said."

"Did you Rose?" I asked her.

"Yep," she replied.

"**This **_**is **_**my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."**

"**Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."**

"**It's **_**always **_**a good a time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further. Eddie Castile. Another friend of mine. **

"Children," Janine muttered underneath her breath.

"Did you say something?" Rose questioned, sarcastically.

Janine just narrowed her eyes at her only child. "Nothing that concerns you."

"Whatever," Rose said, flipping her brown hair.

**Dimitri shook his head and walked off, muttering something in Russian that didn't sound complimentary.**

"That doesn't sound like you," Ivan said to Dimitri.

He shrugged his shoulders, "No, but I might have changed since then."

"True," Ivan said.

**But as for me . . . well, just like that, I was one of the novices again. They were an easygoing bunch, less focused on pedigree and politics than the Moroi students.**

I gave out a wishful sigh, "That sounds much better then being a Moroi, at times."

Rose had a thoughtful look on her face, "Maybe we can change that."

"Rose..." Janine started to warn her.

Rose held up her hand. "It won't get anyone in trouble."

**The class engulfed me, and I found myself laughing and seeing those I'd nearly forgotten about. Everyone wanted to know where we'd been; apparently Lissa and I had become legends. I couldn't tell them why we'd left, of course, so I offered up a lot of taunts and wouldn't-you-like-to-knows that served just as well.**

"Of coarse that would work," said Andre. "Their afraid of you Rosie."

Rose glared at my idiot brother. "Don't call me Rosie."

**The happy reunion lasted a few more minutes before the adult guardian who oversaw the training came over and scolded Mason for neglecting his duties. Still grinning, he barked out orders to everyone, explaining what exercises to start with. Uneasily, I realized I didn't know most of them.**

"You should have stayed their then," scolded Janine.

Rose glared at her mother. "Their might have been a reason why we left. So don't go assuming Lissa and I, ran for parting and crap."

"Language, Rose." Janine scolded once again.

"**Come on, Hathaway," he said, taking my arm. "You can be my partner. Let's see what you've ****been doing all this time."**

**An hour later, he had his answer.**

"Probably got your ass kicked," said Mason.

"I probably did," she responded.

"**Not practicing, huh?"**

"**Ow," I groaned, momentarily incapable of normal speech.**

"Rose, speechless!" exclaimed Andre. "Alert the media. That has to be the first time I have heard about that."

"Shut up, Andre," said Rose, annoyed. "Please read, I do want to go to sleep sometime tonight."

**He extended a hand and helped me up from the mat he'd knocked me down on—about fifty times.**

"**I hate you," I told him, rubbing a spot on my thigh that was going to have a wicked bruise tomorrow.**

"You hate me?" Mason asked Rose, with his right hand over his heart. A small pout was on his lips.

"I don't hate you Mase," she responded. "I hate the person who is making us read my future."

"**You'd hate me more if I held back."**

"**Yeah, that's true," I agreed, staggering along as the class put the equipment back.**

"**You actually did okay."**

"I would hate doing all that exercise," I said.

Rose looked at me. "It gets easier further along."

"**What? I just had my ass handed to me."**

"**Well, of course you did. It's been two years. But hey, you're still walking. That's something." He grinned mockingly.**

Rose glared at him, "Your mean, Mase."

A crooked smile was on his face, "I know you love me."

"Yeah, I..."

Before Rose was able to finish her sentence, Andre started reading again. I looked at my jealous brother with wonder.

**Rose's Point of view**

I was wondering why Andre was jealous. Ever since Mason entered the room, he has been acting very different.

"**Did I mention I hate you?"**

Mason looked at me with his nice blue eyes, "Don't you always say that when your pissed off?"

"Sometimes," I said. "Depends on the person."

**He flashed me another smile, which quickly faded to something more serious. "Don't take this the wrong way. . . . I mean, you really are a scrapper, but there's no way you'll be able to take your trials in the spring—"**

"**They're making me take extra practice sessions," I explained. Not that it mattered. I planned on getting Lissa and me out of here before these practices really became an issue.**

"Rosemarie Hathaway!" scolded my absent mother. "they gave you an opportunity to stay there with Lissa, and you go and screw it up."

Narrowing my eyes at her, "Let's get something straight. This didn't happen yet. We might be able to change the future. So don't go and complain about something I didn't even do yet."

"**I'll be ready."**

"**Extra sessions with who?"**

"**That tall guy. Dimitri."**

"Thanks," Dimitri said, sarcastically. "Now I'm the tall guy. Is their anymore nicknames you have for me, Rose?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I said teasingly, "maybe, maybe not."

**Mason stopped walking and stared at me. "You're putting in extra time with Belikov?"**

"At least someone uses my name," Dimitri muttered. "Even if it is my last name."

"**Yeah, so what?"**

"**So the man is a **_**god**_**."**

Everyone turned towards Mason. He started fidgeting in his seat. A light pink blush coated his fair skin, making him cuter then he already was.

"I'm no god," stated Dimitri.

"**Exaggerate much?" I asked.**

"When have I ever exaggerate?" Mason asked me.

"Never."

"**No, I'm serious. I mean, he's all quiet and antisocial usually, but when he fights . . . wow. If you think you're hurting now, you're going to be dead when he's done with you."**

**Great. Something else to improve my day.**

"Sarcasm gets you nowhere in life," said Eric Dragomir.

**I elbowed him and went on to second period. That class covered the essentials of being a bodyguard and was required for all seniors. Actually, it was the third in a series that had started junior year. That meant I was behind in this class too, but I hoped protecting Lissa in the real world had given me some insight.**

My mother rolled her eyes. "That won't help you at all, Rose."

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "wishful thinking."

**Our instructor was Stan Alto, whom we referred to simply as "Stan" behind his back and "Guardian Alto" in formal settings.**

"Don't you ever use proper titles?" asked Dimitri.

"Nope," I said. "Unless it is someone I like."

**He was a little older than Dimitri, but not nearly as tall, and he always looked pissed off. Today, that look intensified when he walked into the classroom and saw me sitting there.**

"He is always pissed off when he sees me," I stated.

"Who knows, maybe he has some hidden feeling for you," said Mason.

I gave him an are-you-for-reel look. "Disgusting, Mase."

**His eyes widened in mock surprise as he circled the room and came to stand beside my desk.**

"**What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very **_**generous **_**of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us."**

"I have a bad feeling about this," I said.

**I felt my cheeks burning, but in a great show of self-control, I stopped myself from telling him to fuck off.**

"What self-control?" asked Andre.

"I have self control," I stated.

Everyone in the room gave her a disbelieving look.

**I'm pretty sure my face must have delivered that message, however, because his sneer increased. **

"I think I will have to pay him a visit," Abe threatened underneath his breath.

_That was weird, _I thought.

**He gestured for me to stand up.**

"**Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."**

**I sank into my seat. "You don't really mean—"**

"It seems like someone doesn't want any attention," stated Andre.

I stared at him for a second, "not the exact attention I desire."

**The taunting smile dried up. "I mean _exactly _what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class."**

**A thick silence enveloped the room. Stan was a scary instructor,**

"You got that right," muttered Mason.

**and most of the class was too awed to laugh at my disgrace quite yet. Refusing to crack, I strode up to the front of the room and turned to face the class. I gave them a bold look and tossed my hair over my shoulders,**

"Trying to be bad ass, Rosie?" asked Andre.

"Damn straight."

**earning a few sympathetic smiles from my friends. I then noticed I had a larger audience than expected. A few guardians—including Dimitri— lingered in the back of the room.**

"Their probably wondering when you will strike Stan," commented Lissa.

I pouted, "You have no faith in me?"

"I do," she responded. "I know Stan pisses you off."

"Vasilisa! Language!" scolded Mrs. Dragomir.

**Outside the Academy, guardians focused on one-on-one protection. Here, guardians had a lot more people to protect _and _they had to train the novices. So rather than follow any one person around, they worked shifts guarding the school as a whole and monitoring classes.**

"**So, Hathaway," said Stan cheerfully, strolling back up to the front with me. "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."**

"He's an ass!" I exclaimed.

"Rosemarie!" Janine exclaimed.

"**My . . . techniques?"**

"**Of course. Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats."**

"He's correct, Rose," said Janine, with a stern expression on her face.

All I did was sink lower in my seat, not even bothering to look at her.

**It was the Kirova lecture all over again, except with more witnesses.**

"Now that's harsh," commented Ivan.

"**We never ran into any Strigoi," I replied stiffly.**

"**Obviously," he said with a snicker. "I already figured that out, seeing as how you're still alive."**

"He has another good point," Eric stated.

Lissa and I hid our head in shame.

**I wanted to shout that maybe I could have defeated a Strigoi, but after getting beat up in the last class, I now suspected I couldn't have survived an attack by Mason, let alone an actual Strigoi.**

**When I didn't say anything, Stan started pacing in front of the class.**

"His normal behavior," Mason said, breaking the tension.

"**So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?"**

"No, they live as hermit's for the past two years," said Andre, with a roll of his eyes.

"Shut up, Andre," said Lissa, with a smile on her face.

**"Sometimes." That was true—especially when we'd first run away. We'd relaxed a little after months went by with no attacks.**

"You always need to be on guard," said Dimitri, with a wise voice.

"_**Sometimes**_**," he repeated in a high-pitched voice, making my answer sound incredibly stupid.**

"That's because it was stupid," whispered Janine,underneath her breath.

**"Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night."**

"**Er . . . no."**

"**No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh wait, you wouldn't know that because **_**you weren't here**_**."**

Abe didn't look happy at this. Anger was clearly displayed on his face. "I defiantly need to talk to this teacher."

**I swallowed back more swear words. "I watched the area whenever we went out," I said, needing to defend myself.**

"That won't work for Stan, Rose." Mason told me.

"I know," I said, with a sigh. "It was worth a try."

"**Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?"**

**I didn't say anything.**

"Wow," said Andre. "I'm impressed. It seems like you were speechless several times in the past two chapters."

"Just read," said Lissa, agitated.

"**Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around- When-You-Remember-To Method."**

Andre suddenly paused, to look at my mother, who was mumbling to herself underneath her breath. As soon as he stop, everyone turned towards her, but she didn't seem to notice. As soon as she was done with her death threat's, she looked up. Noticing that everyone was staring at her, she blush, "Continue reading, please."

"**No!" I exclaimed angrily. "That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive, isn't she?"**

"Your attitude will get you nowhere," commented Janine.

"Like yours is," I snapped at her.

**He walked back up to me and leaned toward my face. "Because you got _lucky_."**

"He's right," said Abe. "Use girls could have been hurt. Not including Strigoi."

All of the adults nodded in agreement.

"**Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there," I shot back. "It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound."**

"Nowhere is safe," said Dimitri. "You will figure that out once you out their guarding your Moroi."

"I kind of figured that out," I said.

"**Safer? **_**Safer? **_**We are at war with the Strigoi!" he yelled.**

Mason snorted, "You have to be doing something to actually be at war. No just sitting around, waiting for them to come for us."

"I agree," I stated, not noticing all of the adults giving me disappointed looks.

"Hey," said Lissa, suddenly. "What about me?"

"I will always be their for you, Lissa." I told her, truthfully.

**I could smell coffee on his breath, he was so close.**

"Talk about personal space," I commented.

Lissa scrunched up her nose. "Agreed."

**"One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him—and he'd barely break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or a human, but you are nothing, _nothing_, compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"**

Lissa took one look at my horrified face, and asked, "Rose, what's wrong?"

"He said my neck is pretty," I whispered. "I feel violated."

Lissa gave me a sympathetic look, while Mason and Andre had a good laugh.

**No way was I going to let this jerk make me cry.**

Abe and Janine were both muttering underneath their breath in a different language. Eric and Rhea were clearly upset.

**Looking away from him, I tried to focus on something else. My eyes rested on Dimitri and the other guardians. They were watching my humiliation, stone-faced.**

"They were probably to stunned not seeing you punch Stan," Mason added.

"Maybe."

"**Moroi blood," I whispered.**

"**What was that?" asked Stan loudly. "I didn't catch it."**

"Asshole," exclaimed Lissa.

"Vasilisa!" cried rhea in outrage. "Language!"

**I spun back around to face him. "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger."**

**He nodded in satisfaction and took a few steps back. "Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And _that _is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough—even with guardians— to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice.**

**And as the Moroi disappear . . ."**

"**. . . so do the dhampirs," I finished.**

Andre suddenly stopped, "Awe, Rosie, I never knew you and Stanny boy finish each others sentences. How romantic."

Glaring at him, I said, "Shut up! That's disgusting! He's disgusting! Your disgusting to even think about that."

Lissa placed her hand over mine to calm me down.

"**Well," he said, licking sprayed spit off his lips. "It looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."**

**Ouch.**

**I spent the rest of that horrible class—in my seat, thankfully—replaying those last words in my mind. The senior-year field experience was the best part of a novice's education. We'd have no classes for half a semester. Instead, we'd each be assigned a Moroi student to guard and follow around. The adult guardians would monitor us and test us with staged attacks and other threats. How a novice passed that field experience was almost as important as all the rest of her grades combined. It could influence which Moroi she got assigned to after graduation.**

**And me? There was only one Moroi I wanted.**

Andre's jade green eye's meet mine, "I knew you always wanted me, Rosie."

"No, I only want Lissa," I said. "She's my best friend. I always want to protect her."

**Two classes later, I finally earned my lunch escape. As I stumbled across campus toward the commons, Dimitri fell into step beside me, not looking particularly godlike—unless you counted his godly good looks.**

The real Dimitri had a light blush on his cheeks, nobody noticed except me.

"**I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" I asked, not bothering with titles.**

"When do you ever?" Asked Abe.

"Never," Lissa, Mason, and I stated.

"**Yes."**

"**And you don't think that was unfair?"**

"One hundred percent," I stated, with a straight face.

"**Was he right? Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?"**

**I looked down at the ground. "I kept her alive," I mumbled.**

"Not feeling so tough now, Rosie," stated Mason.

"Note really," I express.

"**How did you do fighting against your classmates today?"**

"Horribly," stated Mason, as he gave me a grin.

**The question was mean. I didn't answer and knew I didn't need to. I'd had another training class after Stan's, and no doubt Dimitri had watched me get beat up there too.**

"**If you can't fight **_**them**_**—"**

"**Yeah, yeah, I know," I snapped.**

"Temper, temper," said Ivan. "I'm surprised you didn't snap on him sooner."

"I guess I was trying to be on my best behavior," I said.

**He slowed his long stride to match my pain-filled one.**

"**You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?"**

"**Sure," I shrugged. "Now and then."**

"**You didn't join any teams?"**

"**Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."**

"Rose," said Janine in a warning.

**He gave me an exasperated look. "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."**

"**I'll be able to protect her," I said fiercely.**

"Such dedication," Rhea declared.

"**You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know—for your field experience **_**or **_**after you graduate." Dimitri's voice was low and unapologetic. They hadn't given me a warm and fuzzy mentor.**

"No shit," Andre said, sarcastically. "Their not going to reward you for running away."

"Wishful thinking."

**"No one wants to waste the bond— but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either.**

**If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate—if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will."**

"At least someone other then Lissa has faith in me," I said, my tone was laced with disappointment.

"**Lissa, call her Lissa," I corrected. She hated her full name, much preferring the Americanized nickname.**

"Out of his whole speech, and that is all you say," my mother stated.

"Yes," I said.

"I thought I raised you better then that," she said, softly.

I snorted, "Yeah right, you didn't raise me. Hell, you don't even visited me anyways."

**He walked away, and suddenly, I didn't feel like such a bad-ass anymore.**

"Your always bad ass," stated Lissa, trying to cheer me up.

"Thanks," I said, giving her a smile. She knew how to cheer me up.

**By now, I'd burned up a lot of time leaving class. Most everyone else had long since sprinted inside the commons for lunch, eager to maximize their social time. I'd almost made it back there myself when a voice under the door's overhang called to me.**

"I wonder who it could be," whispered Mason, excitedly.

"**Rose?"**

**Peering in the voice's direction, I caught sight of Victor Dashkov, his kind face smiling at me as he leaned on a cane near the building's wall. His two guardians stood nearby at a polite distance.**

"**Mr. Dash—er, Your Highness. Hi."**

"At least you have some manners," my mother pointed out. At this point, I just ignored her.

**I caught myself just in time, having nearly forgotten Moroi royal terms. I hadn't used them while living among humans.**

**The Moroi chose their rulers from among twelve royal families. The eldest in the family got the title of "prince" or "princess." Lissa had gotten hers because she was the only one left in her line.**

Andre stopped so suddenly. His voice was thick with emotion. The truth was out their. The only one to survive was Lissa.

"**How was your first day?" he asked. **

**"Not over yet." I tried to think of something conversational. **"**Are you visiting here for a while?"**

"**I'll be leaving this afternoon after I say hello to Natalie. When I heard Vasilisa—and you—had returned, I simply had to come see you."**

"That was nice of him," said Rhea.

**I nodded, not sure what else to say. He was more Lissa's friend than mine.**

"**I wanted to tell you . . ." He spoke hesitantly. "I understand the gravity of what you did, but I think Headmistress Kirova failed to acknowledge something. You **_**did **_**keep Vasilisa safe all this time. That is impressive."**

Lissa smiled at me. "He's right, you know."

"I know," I told her.

"**Well, it's not like I faced down Strigoi or anything," I said.**

"**But you faced down some things?"**

"**Sure. The school sent psi-hounds once."**

"The school would never send out Psi hounds." Abe stated.

"Your right," said Eric. "Their is something deeper going on."

"**Remarkable."**

"**Not really. Avoiding them was pretty easy."**

"Yeah. Run," Ivan said, sarcastically.

**He laughed. "I've hunted with them before. They aren't _that _easy to evade, not with their powers and intelligence."**

The adults shared another look with each other.

**It was true. Psi-hounds were one of many types of magical creatures that wandered the world, creatures that humans never knew about or else didn't believe they'd really seen. The hounds traveled in packs and shared a sort of psychic communication that made them particularly deadly to their prey—as did the fact that they resembled mutant wolves. "Did you face anything else?"**

**I shrugged. "Little things here and there."**

"**Remarkable," he repeated.**

"He seems awfully noisy." Abe pointed out.

"**Lucky, I think. It turns out I'm really behind in all this guardian stuff." I sounded just like Stan now.**

"That's just wrong on so many levels," I said, with a disgusted look.

"Only you, Rose," said Mason, with a shake of his head.

"**You're a smart girl. You'll catch up. And you also have your bond."**

**I looked away. My ability to "feel" Lissa had been such a secret for so long, it felt weird to have others know about it.**

"I would feel the same way, Rose," said Lissa, looking at me with sympathy.

"**The histories are full of stories of guardians who could feel when their charges were in danger," Victor continued. "I've made a hobby of studying up on it and some of the ancient ways. I've heard it's a tremendous asset."**

Abe narrowed his eyes. "I think that he knows something else."

"**I guess." I shrugged. **_**What a boring hobby, **_**I thought, imagining him poring over prehistoric histories in some dank library covered in spiderwebs.**

"You would automatically think that, when thinking about a library," said Lissa, with a roll of her eyes.

"True." I was not denying it.

**Victor tilted his head, curiosity all over his face. Kirova and the others had had the same look when we'd mentioned our connection, like we were lab rats. "What is it like—if you don't mind me asking?"**

The others sat forward in anticipation. Some even glanced at me. Hell... I was also wondering what it was like

"**It's . . . I don't know. I just sort of always have this hum of how she feels. Usually it's just emotions. We can't send messages or anything." I didn't tell him about slipping into her head. That part of it was hard even for me to understand.**

"I think that was a wise choice," said Abe.

I don't know why, but his words of encouragement made me somewhat happy.

"**But it doesn't work the other way? She doesn't sense you?"**

**I shook my head.**

"That would be so cool," said Lissa, with a smile on her face. "We would have been able to speak mentally to you."

"Or we could talk to each other when we are in different classes," I said, with a smile. I was thinking of all the different things that could happen.

**His face shone with wonder. "How did it happen?"**

"**I don't know," I said, still glancing away. "Just started two years ago."**

**He frowned. "Near the time of the accident?"**

"Maybe we might find out when it happened," said Rhea, looking at her family.

**Hesitantly, I nodded. The accident was _not _something I wanted to talk about, that was for sure. Lissa's memories were bad enough without my own mixing into them. Twisted metal.**

**A sensation of hot, then cold, then hot again.**

**Lissa screaming over me, screaming for me to wake up, screaming for her parents and her brother to wake up. None of them had, only me.**

Lissa was receiving sympathetic looks from everyone. Even from my mother.

**And the doctors said that was a miracle in itself. They said I shouldn't have survived.**

Everyone was now looking at me. Janine and Abe, seemed like they couldn't hold it together.

**Apparently sensing my discomfort, Victor let the moment go and returned to his earlier excitement.**

"**I can still barely believe this. It's been so long since this has happened. If it did happen more often . . . just think what it could do for the safety of all Moroi. If only others could experience this too. I'll have to do more research and see if we can replicate it with others."**

"He seems a little bit eager," said Ivan.

"Your right," said Abe, rubbing his beard.

"**Yeah." I was getting impatient, despite how much I liked him. Natalie rambled a lot, and it was pretty clear which parent she'd inherited **_**that **_**quality from. Lunch was ticking down, and although Moroi and novices shared afternoon classes, Lissa and I wouldn't have much time to talk.**

"Always looking for time to socialize," said Mason.

"Your right," I stated. "I have a life, also."

"**Perhaps we could—"**

**He started coughing, a great, seizing fit that made his whole body shake. His disease, Sandovsky's Syndrome, took the lungs down with it while dragging the body toward death. I cast an anxious look at his guardians, and one of them stepped forward. "Your Highness," he said politely, "you need to go inside. It's too cold out here."**

"That was nice of his guardian," said Rhea.

**Victor nodded. "Yes, yes. And I'm sure Rose here wants to eat." **

"Yeah," said Andre. "Rosie thinks with her stomach."

**He turned to me. "Thank you for speaking to me. I can't emphasize how much it means to me that Vasilisa is safe—and that you helped with that. I'd promised her father I'd look after her if anything happened to him, and I felt like quite the failure when you left."**

"At least he is keeping his promise," Eric said to his wife.

**A sinking sensation filled my stomach as I imagined him wracked with guilt and worry over our disappearance. Until now, I hadn't really thought about how others might have felt about us leaving.**

"Selfish," Janine muttered, once again.

**We made our goodbyes, and I finally arrived inside the school. As I did, I felt Lissa's anxiety spike. Ignoring the pain in my legs, I picked up my pace into the commons. And nearly ran right into her.**

"Try to pay attention next time," said Janine.

**She didn't see me, though. Neither did the people standing with her: Aaron and that little doll girl.**

"I think there is going to be a fight happening," Andre whispered to Mason. They weren't that quite.

"I can hear the both of you. Thanks for having so much faith in me, guys," I told them sarcastically.

**I stopped and listened, just catching the end of the conversation. The girl leaned toward Lissa, who seemed more stunned than anything else.**

"**It looks to **_**me **_**like it came from a garage sale. I thought a precious Dragomir would have standards." Scorn dripped off the word **_**Dragomir**_**.**

**Grabbing Doll Girl by the shoulder, I jerked her away. She was so light, she stumbled three feet and nearly fell.**

"Rose," warned Janine through her teeth.

"**She does have standards," I said, "which is why you're done talking to her."**

"Good one, Rose," said Andre.

"I thought you might have punched her," stated Mason.

"I thought that as well," I stated.

"It's a good thing that you didn't," said Janine, disapprovingly.

"You know what," I said, as my anger fulling. I quickly stood up from my seat. "You always have been disapproving of me. Everything that I do or ever have done. No wonder why you were happy to leave me at the academy when I was four. You didn't want a me in your life. Now, I understand, perfectly fine."

"Rose," she said, now standing, too. "You don't know anything!"

"No...I might not know everything...as you might say. But your words from this chapter and the last two, made it extremely clear."

"Rose..."

"Enough!" Shouted Abe, getting in-between the two of us. As seeing me and my mother were face to face. "Stop it you two this instant. Calm down, and talk things more clearly." He turned towards me. "You need to stop fighting with your mother."

"Why the hell are you telling me what to do?" I questioned, angrily. "It's not like your my father."

Abe and Janine shared at look with each other. Janine sighed, nodding her head at him. He looked at me, "I'm your father, Rosemarie."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N- Thank you for the review from the previous chapter! Now onto the next!**

* * *

**Third person point of view**

Rose was stunned. She always wondered who her father was, and if he was a royal Moroi. She always wondered if he had another family out their and didn't want her in their lives. When she was younger she was always jealous of Lissa because she has a caring father and mother. Most of the time she wished her mother was more like Rhea. Rose thought that they didn't care about her, and wanted her out of their lives for good. They never contacted her so what was the point.

Rose shook her head, removing the thoughts from her head. "You know what," she said, moving towards the door. "I'm out of here."

Rose slammed the door behind her, before her tears started to fall. She was embarrassed in front of her best guy friend and Lissa. She hated feeling weak, but this was something that she couldn't shake.

Rose jogged back to her dorm room. She wanted to get farther away from them as possible. Once she was in her dorm room, she slammed the door, then going over to her desk. She grabbed her iPod that Lissa bought her for her last birthday.

She placed the head phones on her ears, blasted her music, and promptly cried herself to sleep.

**Back in the room, {third point of view}**

Lissa turned on her heels. Her jade green eyes held furry. "Now, you done it!" Lissa yelled at Janine. "She always wanted to at least know her fathers name growing up. Hell, she wished that she had a normal family who loved her."

"We do love her," said Janine.

Lissa snorted, unladylike, "Really!" She drawled out sarcastically. "I would never have thought of that. As seeing how your actions towards her."

"Lissa!" exclaimed Rhea.

"How do you know that," whispered Janine.

"She is my best friend," Lissa said. "She is my sister I wished I had." Lissa paused and looked at her parents. "We always talk to each other. We have no secrets between us."

"I think I should go after her," said Janine, suddenly.

Lissa shook her head. "I don't think that is a good thing to do right now. She needs some space after finding out everything."

"This was not how we planned on tell her," whispered Abe, as he placed a hand on Janine's shoulders.

"Give her a few days," Lissa said, before she exited the room.

**Rose point of view (the next day)**

The day was a totally blur. I only talked to Lissa and Mason. Whenever they brought up my parents, I would always change the conversation. I didn't want to talk to any of them. I wanted to have time alone, but unfortunately I had to go back reading the books.

By the time I walked to the room that was used yesterday, everyone was already in this room. Sitting in the same spot as before, with the excepting of one new person. The male teenage had raven black hair, and sapphire blue eyes. He looked really uncomfortable sitting in the room with people he doesn't recognize. He was sitting closer to Dimitri, and having some sort of conversation. I think his name is Christian Ozera.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned him.

"I have no idea," said Christian, as he stared at me. "I was told to go to this room. So here I am."

"So who is going to read the next chapter," I said, taking a seat next to Andre. At least he didn't bug me about my parents.

"I will," said Lissa.

**We didn't have the entire commons' attention this time, thank God, but a few passing people had stopped to stare.**

"At least it went back to normal," I said.

"Why do you say that?" asked Andre.

I smirked at him, "They would be to afraid to stare at me. Especially, with my reputation."

"I guess you are right," said Andre, looking down at me.

I heard a faint growling coming from the other side of the room. Turning my head, I saw that it was Mason. I raised my eyebrows at him, making him turn away from me. Whatever, I thought.

"**What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury.**

"I guess she doesn't know who I am," I said, with a smile on my face.

"Maybe she just moved here," said Lissa.

"Or she could be at the other campus," said Christian.

**Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height, which was partly what made her look so young. The tiny purple dress she wore was gorgeous reminding me that I was indeed dressed in thrift shop wear—but closer inspection led me to think it was a designer knockoff.**

From the corner of my left eye, I saw my parents lean into each other. My father leaned into my mother's ears. Whatever he said, made her nod her head in agreement. This was the first time that I looked at them since yesterday. They had dark circles underneath both of their eyes. I sighed, not wanting to deal with them at the moment.

**I crossed my arms across my chest. "Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west campus."**

"Good come back, Rose," said Mason, with a fake smile.

"I know," I said. "I think it was brilliant!"

**A pink flush spread over her cheeks. "Don't you ever touch me again. You screw with me, and I'll screw you right back."**

I scrunched up my nose, "That just doesn't sound right."

Andre shook his head. "She must have not have a care in the world."

"Why would you say that?" asked Ivan, leaning forward in his seat.

"Well, Rosie, over here has a temper," said Andre. Flashing a grin at my scowling face.

"Don't call me, Rosie," I said, glaring at him and everyone in the room. "That goes for everyone."

"Okay, Rosie," said Christian.

"I just told you not to call me Rosie," I said, trying to get up from my seat. But I couldn't as seeing Andre's arms were holding my waist. "Let me go, Andre."

"No can do, Rosie," he said. "I think he might have a little crush on you."

"Yuck," Christian and I said at the same time.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "No, he is defiantly not my type."

"Good," said Christian. "Cause I don't like you either."

"Can you please read," wined Ivan.

**Oh man, what an opening that was. Only a head shake from Lissa stopped me from unleashing any number of hilarious comebacks. Instead, I opted for simple brute force, so to speak.**

"I thought that you couldn't get in trouble, Rose," said my mom. I thin this is the first time she spoke to me today.

"I don't know," I said. "Just wait and see what my future self does."

"**And if you mess with either of us again, I'll break you in half. If you don't believe me, go ask Dawn Yarrow about what I did to her arm in ninth grade. You were probably at nap time when it happened."**

"Didn't that just happened two weeks ago?" asked Mason.

"Yep!" I exclaimed with a smile on my face.

"Rose!" several people wined.

"Sorry," I said, sheepishly.

**The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation, in addition to my smartass one. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging from the look on this girl's face, it was.**

"Rosie, they don't have campfires," wined Christian.

"Shut up, firefly," I said, glaring at him. Then I asked him, sweetly, "We can make a campfire for you, if you want."

**One of the patrolling staff members strolled by right then, casting suspicious eyes at our little meeting. Doll Girl backed off, taking Aaron's arm. "Come on," she said.**

"I have to give you props," said my mother. "I thought that you would have punched her."

"I do have some control," I muttered. "It's not like I want to go and punch everyone that pisses me off."

"Rose is right," said Lissa. "Some people really know how to push her buttons."

"**Hey, Aaron," I said cheerfully, remembering he was there. **"**Nice to see you again."**

**He gave me a quick nod and an uneasy smile, just as the girl dragged him off. Same old Aaron. He might be nice and cute, but aggressive he was not.**

I chuckled a little bit, "So, Lissa, do you still want to go out with him."

"Rose," wined Lissa,as her pale cheek turned a little bit pink. I knew she had a crush on him. "I thought you wouldn't tell anyone."

"You asked me not to tell him," I said. "And I didn't. I told everyone in this room, but not him."

"She's right, Lissa," said Andre, with a straight face. "Do I need to give him the big brother talk?"

"No!" Lissa shouted. In a smaller voice, she said, "I just like him, I'm not going to ask him out."

**I turned to Lissa. "You okay?" She nodded. "Any idea who I just threatened to beat up?"**

"Is it common for you to beat someone up even if you don't know their name?" asked Dimitri.

"Not really," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "It is the same even if I know the person. Name or no name doesn't matter."

"**Not a clue." **

**I started to lead her toward the lunch line, but she shook her head at me. "Gotta go see the feeders."**

"Good," said Eric. "At least Rose doesn't have to give you blood everyday. Even through she was doing a part of her duty."

**A funny feeling settled over me. I'd gotten so used to being her primary blood source that the thought of returning to the Moroi's normal routine seemed strange. In fact, it almost bothered me. It shouldn't have. **

'It sounds like you are trying to fight the addiction," stated Rhea.

I just shrunk lower in my seat. Maybe I was turning into a blood whore like everyone said.

**Daily feedings were part of a Moroi's life, something I hadn't been able to offer her while living on our own. It had been an inconvenient situation, one that left me weak on feeding days and her weak on the days in between. I should have been happy she would get some normality. I forced a smile. "Sure."**

Andre bent his head down, and whispered into my ear, "It sounds like you are addicted."

"I'm not," I whispered back.

"Well, it sounds like it," he whispered, brushing a strand of my hair away from my face.

"Hey, lovebirds, can we please continue to read this story. I'm tired of looking at the both of you whispering sweet nothings in each others ears," said Christian.

"Shut it," I said, threateningly.

**We walked into the feeding room, which sat adjacent to the cafeteria. It was set up with small cubicles, dividing the room's space in an effort to offer privacy. A dark-haired Moroi woman greeted us at the entrance and glanced down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages. Finding what she needed, she made a few notes and then gestured for Lissa to follow. Me she gave a puzzled look, but she didn't stop me from entering.**

"That's because dhampirs barely go into that room," Janine said. "Until the seniors have their field experience."

**She led us to one of the cubicles where a plump, middle-aged woman sat leafing through a magazine. She looked up at our approach and smiled. In her eyes, I could see the dreamy, glazed-over look most feeders had. She'd probably neared her quota for the day, judging from how high she appeared to be.**

**Recognizing Lissa, her smile grew. "Welcome back, Princess."**

"How did she remember you?" asked Ivan.

"She has been here for years," Lissa said.

"Oh," said Ivan, stupidly. "I should have thought about that."

**The greeter left us, and Lissa sat down in the chair beside the woman. I sensed a feeling of discomfort in her, a little different from my own. This was weird for her too; it had been a long time. The feeder, however, had no such reservations. An eager look crossed her face—the look of a junkie about to get her next fix.**

"They always looked like that." Andre commented, with a mild grin on his face.

**Disgust poured into me. It was an old instinct, one that had been drilled in over the years. Feeders were essential to Moroi life. They were humans who willingly volunteered to be a regular blood source, humans from the fringes of society who gave their lives over to the secret world of the Moroi. They were well cared for and given all the comforts they could need.**

"They are," said Rhea. "They make it so they would want to leave the academy."

"What if they want to leave?" asked Lissa.

Eric sighed, "Then court official's have their highest compulsion users alter their memories. They won't remember the Moroi world. Although they that doesn't usually happen. They would go crazy needing a fix that regular drugs don't give them."

**But at the heart of it, they were drug users, addicts to Moroi saliva and the rush it offered with each bite. The Moroi—and guardians—looked down on this dependency, even though the Moroi couldn't have survived otherwise unless they took victims by force. Hypocrisy at its finest.**

"I haven't thought about it before," muttered Andre. "You do make a good point, Rose."

**The feeder tilted her head, giving Lissa full access to her neck. Her skin there was marked with scars from years of daily bites. The infrequent feedings Lissa and I had done had kept my neck clear; my bite marks never lasted more than a day or so.**

"I'm surprise no one said anything," said Mason.

"They might have," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "You never know. People might think that they are hickeys."

**Lissa leaned forward, fangs biting into the feeder's yielding flesh. The woman closed her eyes, making a soft sound of pleasure. I swallowed, watching Lissa drink. I couldn't see any blood, but I could imagine it. A surge of emotion grew in my chest: longing. Jealousy. I averted my eyes, staring at the floor.**

I stared at the floor, not liking how this chapter was sounding. "Rose," said Lissa.

"Just read, Lissa," I said.

**Mentally, I scolded myself. _What's wrong with you? Why should you miss it? You only did it once every day. You aren't addicted, not like this. And you don't want to be._**

"At least you have some sense of control," Janine muttered. "Just not enough."

**But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite.**

"It is going to take more then one day to recover from a Moroi bite," said Abe. "Especially, since you have been feeding her for two years. Their nothing wrong with that."

I smiled at him, knowing that he was right. It was good to at least know he is my father.

**Lissa finished and we returned to the commons, moving toward the lunch line. It was short, since we only had fifteen minutes left, and I strolled up and began to load my plate with french fries and some rounded, bite-size objects that looked vaguely like chicken nuggets. Lissa only grabbed a yogurt.**

"You girls should have eaten more," scolded Rhea. "Unless they served you two breakfast."

"They just wouldn't let them starve," said Eric.

**Moroi needed food, as dhampirs and humans did, but rarely had an appetite after drinking blood.**

"Maybe that is why we are all supermodel skinny," said Ivan.

"You can always workout," I suggested.

"**So how'd classes go?" I asked.**

**She shrugged. Her face was bright with color and life now.**

"She probably had more blood in her," said Rhea. Even though she wasn't out right blaming me, I still shrunk down in my seat.

"**Okay. Lots of stares. A **_**lot **_**of stares. Lots of questions about where we were. Whispering."**

"**Same here," I said. The attendant checked us out, and we walked toward the tables. I gave Lissa a sidelong glance. "You okay with that? They aren't bothering you, are they?"**

"**No—it's fine." The emotions coming through the bond contradicted her words. Knowing I could feel that, she tried to change the subject by handing me her class schedule. I looked it over.**

"Trying to change the subject, baby sister," said Andre. "Classic."

"Shut up," Lissa said.

_**1st Period Russian 2**_

_**2nd Period American Colonial Literature**_

_**3rd Period Basics of Elemental Control**_

_**4th Period Ancient Poetry**_

—_**Lunch—**_

_**5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology**_

_**6th Period Advanced Calculus**_

_**7th Period Moroi Culture 4**_

_**8th Period Slavic Art**_

"I wish they have less classes," I said.

"It is a school, Rosie," said Christian. "We go their to learn."

"No shit," I said, sarcastically. "By the way, I told you to stop calling me, Rosie. If you continue I will call you Chrissy. I think it would work for you."

He glared at me, "fine, can't you take a joke."

"I can," I snapped back. "Except that wasn't a joke."

"**Nerd," I said. "If you were in Stupid Math like me, we'd have the same afternoon schedule."**

"She's smarter then you," Christian pointed out. "Besides she's not a nerd. She's too cute to be one."

Lissa blush at his complemented.

**I stopped walking. "Why are you in elemental basics? That's a sophomore class."**

"I think we all want to know that," said Eric.

**She eyed me. "Because seniors take specialized classes."**

"No duh! I think we get the message," Christian said, sarcastically.

**We fell silent at that. All Moroi wielded elemental magic. It was one of the things that differentiated living vampires from Strigoi, the dead vampires. Moroi viewed magic as a gift. It was part of their souls and connected them to the world.**

"I think that might also be a hint," Abe pointed out.

"True," said Eric. "But, it might not be also. Or a double standard."

**A long time ago, they had used their magic openly, averting natural disasters and helping with things like food and water production. They didn't need to do that as much anymore, but the magic was still in their blood. It burned in them and made them want to reach out to the earth and wield their power. Academies like this existed to help Moroi control the magic and learn how to do increasingly complex things with it. Students also had to learn the rules that surrounded magic, rules that had been in place for centuries and were strictly enforced.**

"It's to bad that we can't use our magic more frequently," stated Christian.

"I know," said Andre. "I think it would be awesome to use are magic for everyday things."

**All Moroi had a small ability in each element. When they got to be around our age, students "specialized" when one element grew stronger than the others: earth, water, fire, or air. Not specializing was like not going through puberty. And Lissa . . . well, Lissa hadn't specialized yet.**

"Everyone has magic," said Rhea. "I think you are just using a different type of magic."

"That type of magic must be rare," said Abe. Everyone turned to look at him. "If their was more people that didn't specialized in an element, then they might have the same element that is currently unknown."

This seemed to be confusing, and I wasn't the only one who was thinking that.

"**Is Ms. Carmack still teaching that? What she'd say?"**

"**She says she's not worried. She thinks it'll come."**

"Unless she doesn't know herself," I whispered.

"**Did you—did you tell her about—"**

**Lissa shook her head. "No. Of course not."**

**We let the subject drop. It was one we thought about a lot but rarely spoke of. We started moving again, scanning the tables as we decided where to sit. A few pairs of eyes looked up at us with blatant curiosity.**

"Always looking for a new source of gossip," I stated, with a board fashion.

"At least we are talked about," said Lissa.

"But how much of the gossip is worth it," I said.

"All of it," said Andre.

I snorted, "Unless you are called a whore."

"**Lissa!" came a nearby voice. Glancing over, we saw Natalie waving at us. Lissa and I exchanged looks. Natalie was sort of Lissa's cousin in the way Victor was sort of her uncle, but we'd never hung out with her all that much.**

"Why didn't you girls?" asked Rhea.

Lissa and I shared a look. We knew the reason why we really didn't hang out with her. We just didn't want to say anything.

"I think it might be mentioned in this book," Lissa said. "If not we will tell you when this book is over."

**Lissa shrugged and headed in that direction. "Why not?"**

**I followed reluctantly. Natalie was nice but also one of the most uninteresting people I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd. She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway.**

"All that matters is she is nice," said Rhea. "I think it would be a good idea to hang around her more. She might need some female friends to bring up her self-confidence that I think she is lacking."

**Natalie's friends eyed us with a quiet curiosity, but she didn't hold back. She threw her arms around us. Like Lissa, she had jade-green eyes, but her hair was jet black, like Victor's had been before his disease grayed it.**

"She looked almost like her mother when she was alive," said Janine.

"You know her mother?" I questioned.

"Yes," she said. "We went to the same school in Scotland. She was a nice, and had no problem gaining attention from men."

"**You're back! I knew you would be! Everyone said you were gone forever, but I never believed that. I knew you couldn't stay away. Why'd you go? There are so many stories about why you left!" Lissa and I exchanged glances as Natalie prattled on. "Camille said one of you got pregnant and went off to have an abortion, but I knew that couldn't be true. Someone else said you went off to hang out with Rose's mom, but I figured Ms. Kirova and Daddy wouldn't have been so upset if you'd turned up there. Did you know we might get to be roommates? I was talking to . . ."**

"That is another reason why we don't hang out with her too much," I stated. "She talked and talked and, well you get the picture."

**On and on she chatted, flashing her fangs as she spoke. I smiled politely, letting Lissa deal with the onslaught until Natalie asked a dangerous question.**

"Geez, thanks Rose," said Lissa, as she rolled her eyes.

"Your welcome," I said, cheeky.

"**What'd you do for blood, Lissa?" The table regarded us questioningly. Lissa froze, but I immediately jumped in, the lie coming effortlessly to my lips.**

"At least you can lie on the stop," said Andre. "If anyone found out, it would be social suicide."

"Unless, you make them believe your not," said Christian.

"True," said Mason. "Rose's method would be pissing them off or punching them in their face."

"Mason," I warned.

"**Oh, it's easy. There are a lot of humans who want to do it."**

"If they never about us, then yes," said Christian, with a snort. "Unless they are drug dealers looking for a high."

"How do you know?" questioned Lissa, as she placed her hand on top of his.

Christian's blue eyes looked into her jade green eyes, "When you live away from court, and are not anywhere near another Moroi family, you have to do what you can to survive."

from the corner of my eyes, I saw the adults share a concerned look between each other.

"**Really?" asked one of Natalie's friends, wide-eyed.**

"**Yup. You find 'em at parties and stuff. They're all looking for a fix from something, and they don't really get that a vampire's doing it: most are already so wasted they don't remember anyway." My already vague details dried up, so I simply shrugged in as cool and confident a way as I could manage. It wasn't like any of them knew any better. "Like I said, it's easy. Almost easier than with our own feeders."**

"It's not that easy, Rose," said Christian, seriously. It must have been serious if he didn't call me Rosie. I think he is talking from experience.

**Natalie accepted this and than launched into some other topic. Lissa shot me a grateful look.**

**Ignoring the conversation again, I took in the old faces, trying to figure out who was hanging out with whom and how power had shifted within the school. Mason, sitting with a group of novices, caught my eye, and I smiled. Near him, a group of Moroi royals sat, laughing over something. Aaron and the blond girl sat there too.**

"I think we might finally find out her name," said Lissa, with a grin on her face.

"It would be good to put a name to her face," I said, thinking about it.

"**Hey, Natalie," I said, turning around and cutting her off. She didn't seem to notice or mind. "Who's Aaron's new girlfriend?"**

"**Huh? Oh. Mia Rinaldi." Seeing my blank look, she asked, **"**Don't you remember her?"**

"**Should I? Was she here when we left?"**

"Natalie is right," Mason said. "I think she might be a year younger then us."

"**She's always been here," said Natalie. "She's only a year younger than us." I shot a questioning look at Lissa, who only shrugged.**

"**Why is she so pissed off at us?" I asked. "Neither of us know her."**

I looked beside me at Andre's face. I noticed that he was sitting their very still. His hand was gripping onto mine. I think he was thinking about something serious, as seeing my hand felt like it was being crush in his hand. "Andre," I whispered. No response. "Andre, let go of my hand."

He shook his head, and removed his hand. "Sorry, Rose."

"**I don't know," answered Natalie. "Maybe she's jealous about Aaron. She wasn't much of anybody when you guys left. She got **_**really **_**popular **_**really **_**fast. She isn't royal or anything, but once she started dating Aaron, she—"**

"**Okay, thanks," I interrupted. "It doesn't really—"**

Janine glared at me, "You could have waited until she finished talking to interrupted her, since she just gave you information on someone you were asking about."

**My eyes lifted up from Natalie's face to Jesse Zeklos's, just as he passed by our table. Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him.**

"Ah," said Ivan, as he stared at me. "Does Rosie, have a little crush on my baby cousin?"

"You are related that closely?" I asked, ignoring the crush topic.

"Yep," he answered. "My father is his uncle. I only ever see him on some holidays. We really don't get along well."

**I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him.**

Mason turned his blue eyes onto me. "So you only flit with me because your getting practice?"

"I...no...well..."

"Save it, Rose," he said, anger in his words. I wasn't used to him being angry at me, so I just nodded my head.

**He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot, he should have worn a warning: flammable sign. He met my eyes and grinned.**

I scrunched up my nose, "he's is certainly not hot."

"**Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?"**

"**Are you volunteering?"**

"I don't want to hear about this," Abe complained.

"I don't either," I wined, "but I don't have a change either."

**His grin widened. "Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole."**

"Rose," said Janine. "You should be thinking about training."

**He kept walking, and I watched him admiringly. Natalie and her friends stared at me in awe. I might not be a god in the Dimitri sense, but with this group, Lissa and I _were _gods— or at least former gods—of another nature.**

"I guess we're popular," Lissa whispered, excitedly.

"I know, right." I told her. "This is something that we have been waiting for, for years."

"Popularity isn't everything," Andre commented.

"**Oh my gawd," exclaimed one girl. I didn't remember her name. "That was **_**Jesse**_**."**

"**Yes," I said, smiling. "It certainly was."**

"**I wish I looked like you," she added with a sigh.**

I groaned. "I hear that a lot."

"Their just jealous of you, Rose," said Andre.

**Their eyes fell on me. Technically, I was half-Moroi, but my looks were human. I'd blended in well with humans during our time away, so much so that I'd barely thought about my appearance at all.**

"You should be happy anyway," said Rhea. "Everyone has a different type of body. Their is nothing to be ashamed of."

I nodded my head, then said, "I know. Thank you, it just bothers me constantly that people always wish that they look like me."

**Here, among the slim and small-chested Moroi girls, certain features—meaning my larger breasts and more defined hips—stood out.**

"That could also be a reason," whispered Andre, into my ear.

Rolling my eyes at him, I said back, "So. I like how I look sometimes."

**I knew I was pretty, but to Moroi boys, my body was more than just pretty: it was sexy in a risqué way. Dhampirs were an exotic conquest, a novelty all Moroi guys wanted to "try."**

"They better think twice," said Abe, menacingly. "Now that I'm going to be in the picture."

**It was ironic that dhampirs had such an allure here, because slender Moroi girls looked very much like the super skinny runway models so popular in the human world. Most humans could never reach that "ideal" skinniness, just as Moroi girls could never look like me. Everyone wanted what she couldn't have.**

"That's certainly the truth," Christian said, as he stared right at Lissa.

**Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were, and the novelty—though not the intrigue—of our crazy stunt wore off. Or maybe I should say, they remembered who _I _was.**

"I don't think that they could forget a face like yours, Rosie," said Christian,, with a smirk on his face.

"Shut up, Chrissy." I told him.

**Because I was the only one talking. Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in my attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her.**

"**All right," I told her when classes finally ended. We stood outside the school, and I was fully aware that in doing so, I was already breaking the terms of my agreement with Kirova.**

Janine shook her head sadly, "I know sooner or later you might have broke your arrangement."

rolling my eyes, I said, "If I really broke my agreement, why is their six books, then, instead of several chapters of a short story." that quickly shut her up.

"**We're not staying here," I told her, looking around the campus uneasily. "I'm going to find a way to get us out."**

"**You think we could really do it a second time?" Lissa asked quietly.**

"**Absolutely." I spoke with certainty, again relieved she couldn't read my feelings. Escaping the ****first time had been tricky enough. Doing it again would be a real bitch, not that I couldn't still find a way.**

"I really would like to know how you two girls were able to escape the academy," said Eric.

"I think we all want to find out," said Rhea.

"**You really would, wouldn't you?" She smiled, more to herself than to me, like she'd thought of something funny. "Of course you would. It's just, well . . ." She sighed. "I don't know if we should go. Maybe—maybe we should stay."**

"Good thinking," stated Mason. He has been unusually quiet.

**I blinked in astonishment. "What?" Not one of my more eloquent answers, but the best I could manage. I'd never expected this from her.**

"Their is a first time for everything," stated Christian, as he looked towards Lissa.

"**I saw you, Rose. I saw you talking to the other novices during class, talking about practice. You ****miss that."**

"**It's not worth it," I argued. "Not if . . . not if **_**you **_**. . ." I couldn't finish, but she was right. She'd read me. I **_**had **_**missed the other novices. Even some of the Moroi. But there was more to it than just that. The weight of my inexperience, how much I'd fallen behind, had been growing all day.**

"Lissa is right on this one, Rose," said Andre, not looking into my eyes.

"I know," I whispered.

"**It might be better," she countered. "I haven't had as many . . . you know, things happening in a while. I haven't felt like anyone was following or watching us."**

The adults all shared a look at each other. They didn't like how this story was going so far. I was able to tell by their facial expressions.

**I didn't say anything to that. Before we'd left the Academy, she'd always felt like someone was following her, like she was being hunted. I'd never seen evidence to support that, but I had once heard one of our teachers go on and on about the same sort of thing. Ms. Karp. She'd been a pretty Moroi, with deep auburn air and high cheekbones. And I was pretty sure she'd been crazy.**

"I know for a fact that she never specialized," said Eric.

"So then she might have the unknown element," stated Abe.

"But she is going crazy," I said.

"Maybe she knows the element, and is using it often," stated Dimitri. "It might be effecting her more then anyone else."

"**You never know who's watching," she used to say, walking briskly around the classroom as she shut all the blinds. "Or who's following you. Best to be safe. Best to **_**always **_**be safe."**

"She is right," said Abe. "To a point. Anyone can follow you, especially if you pissed someone off and want revenge."

**We'd snickered amongst ourselves because that's what students do around eccentric and paranoid teachers. The thought of Lissa acting like her bothered me.**

"Awe, Rosie, has a caring heart," Christian said, sarcastically.

Glaring at him, I spoke through clenched teeth, "I will show you a caring heart. Real soon."

"**What's wrong?" Lissa asked, noticing that I was lost in thought.**

"**Huh? Nothing. Just thinking." I sighed, trying to balance my own wants with what was best for her. "Liss, we can stay, I guess . . . but there are a few conditions."**

**This made her laugh. "A Rose ultimatum, huh?"**

"**I'm serious." **

"That is the first time I hear you say something like that," said Lissa.

"Yea," I said. "Especially, since I don't say those words very often."

"Unless it's during class," stated Mason.

**Words I didn't say very much.**

"**I want you to stay away from the royals. Not like Natalie or anything, but you know, the others. ****The power players. Camille. Carly. That group."**

"Good point," said Ivan. "All those royal games can cause anyone to lose their mind. Including someone who I depressed."

**Her amusement turned to astonishment. "Are you serious?"**

"**Sure. You never liked them anyway."**

"Then why hang out with them if you didn't like them," said Christian. "It makes no sense."

"Maybe to you, but not everyone else," I pointed out.

"True," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"_**You **_**did."**

"**No. Not really. I liked what they could offer. All the parties and stuff."**

"Of coarse you would, Rose," said Andre. "Your a real party animal."

"Ha ha ha, very funny, Andre."

"**And you can go without that now?" She looked skeptical.**

"**Sure. We did in Portland."**

"Good thing, too," said Dimitri.

"**Yeah, but that was different." Her eyes stared off, not really focused on any one thing. "Here . . . **_**here **_**I've got to be a part of that. I can't avoid it."**

"**The hell you do. Natalie stays out of that stuff."**

"Rose is right, Lissa," said Andre. "You don't have to follow in anyone's footsteps."

"I know," she said, looking towards the floor.

"**Natalie isn't going to inherit her family's title," she retorted. "I've already got it. I've got to be involved, start making connections. Andre—"**

"**Liss," I groaned. "You **_**aren't **_**Andre." I couldn't believe she was still comparing herself to her brother.**

Rhea looked at her daughter. "Rose is right, sweetheart. You and your brother are very different people. I don't want you to change how you are if anything happens. Just remember that."

"I will, mom," said Lissa.

"**He was always involved in all that stuff."**

"**Yeah, well," I snapped back, "he's **_**dead **_**now."**

"Rose!" they all shouted.

"Sorry," I said, shrinking into the seat.

"Hey," said Lissa, bringing the attention away from me. "Whatever is effecting me is going to effect Rose. Besides, this didn't happen yet, so leave her alone."

**Her face hardened. "You know, sometimes you aren't very nice."**

"I think that is an understatement," said Christian. "She is never nice."

"Like you are," I snapped back.

"**You don't keep me around to be nice. You want nice, there are a dozen sheep in there who would rip each others throats to get in good with the Dragomir princess. You keep me around to tell you the truth, and here it is: Andre's dead. You're the heir now, and you're going to deal with it however you can. But for now, that means staying away from the other royals. We'll just lie low. Coast through the middle. Get involved in that stuff again, Liss, and you'll drive yourself . . ."**

"She does make a valid point, Lissa," said Andre. "They will do what they want, and not have a care in the world."

"That can happen anywhere," said Ivan.

"_**Crazy**_**?" she supplied when I didn't finish.**

**Now I looked away. "I didn't mean . . ."**

"I think you did," said Christian.

"**It's okay," she said, after a moment. She sighed and touched my arm. "Fine. We'll stay, and we'll keep out of all that stuff. We'll 'coast through the middle' like you want. Hang out with ****Natalie, I guess."**

"Took you long enough," said Mason. "You two can be equally stubborn sometimes."

**To be perfectly honest, I didn't want any of that. I wanted to go to all the royal parties and wild drunken festivities like we'd done before. We'd kept out of that life for years until Lissa's parents and brother died. Andre should have been the one to inherit her family's title, and he'd certainly acted like it. Handsome and outgoing, he'd charmed everyone he knew and had been a leader in all the royal cliques and clubs that existed on campus. After his death, Lissa had felt it was her family duty to take his place.**

Andre smile down at me. His smile was so bright. "I don't know you thought about me like that, Rosie."

I refused to blush at that commented that he just made. Gathering up all of my courage, I said, "I think a lot of people would agree with me."

He leaned closer towards me, he started whispering in my ear, "I don't care what other people think. Only you."

**I'd gotten to join that world with her. It was easy for me, because I didn't really have to deal with the politics of it. I was a pretty dhampir, one who didn't mind getting into trouble and pulling crazy stunts. I became a novelty; they liked having me around for the fun of it.**

"Really, Rose," wined Janine. "You should be studying not partying."

**Lissa had to deal with other matters. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve ruling families. She'd have a very powerful place in Moroi society, and the other young royals wanted to get in good with her. Fake friends tried to schmooze her and get her to team up against other people. The royals could bribe and backstab in the same breath—and that was just with _each other_. To dhampirs and non-royals, they were completely unpredictable.**

"They do that anywhere," said Ivan. "Not just in the school systems, but everywhere."

"I think we get that," I said.

**That cruel culture had eventually taken its toll on Lissa.**

"It can take it's toll on anyone," said Lissa, with a roll of her eyes.

**She had an open, kind nature, one that I loved, and I hated to see her upset and stressed by royal games. She'd grown fragile since the accident, and all the parties in the world weren't worth seeing her hurt.**

"See I care about her," I said to Christian. "She is my best friend, and I don't want nothing to happen towards her."

"Thanks, Rose," she said, giving me a hug.

"**All right then," I said finally. "We'll see how this goes. If anything goes wrong—anything at all—we leave. No arguments."**

**She nodded.**

"**Rose?"**

"Busted," Andre sang out.

"Shut it," I said, playfully.

**We both looked up at Dimitri's looming form. I hoped he hadn't heard the part about us leaving.**

"I probably did," Dimitri said.

"**You're late for practice," he said evenly. Seeing Lissa, he gave a polite nod. "Princess."**

I shook my head, "Always so polite. What a shame, Comrade."

"Not everyone is rude, Rose," Dimitri responded.

**As he and I walked away, I worried about Lissa and wondered if staying here was the right thing to do. I felt nothing alarming through the bond, but her emotions spiked all over the place. Confusion. Nostalgia. Fear. Anticipation. Strong and powerful, they flooded into me.**

"I think that the bond is working," I said.

"I think we get that, Rose," said Mason, with a roll of his eyes.

**I felt the pull just before it happened. It was exactly like what had happened on the plane: her emotions grew so strong that they "sucked" me into her head before I could stop them. I could now see and feel what she did.**

"Why does this constantly happen?" asked Lissa.

"I don't know," I said. A second later I brightened up, "At least I'm not going to be the only person's thoughts aired in this book."

"Great," she muttered.

**She walked slowly around the commons, toward the small Russian Orthodox chapel that served most of the school's religious needs. Lissa had always attended mass regularly. Not me. I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him—barely—so long as he let me sleep in on Sundays.**

"Always thinking about sleep," said Janine.

"Yep," I said. "I never get enough sleep."

**But as she went inside, I could feel that she wasn't there to pray. She had another purpose, one I didn't know about. Glancing around, she verified that neither the priest nor any worshippers were close by. The place was empty.**

"Are you up to no good, Lissa," I said, sternly.

She raised a blond eyebrow, "Maybe."

I groaned, jealous of not being able to raise an eyebrow.

**Slipping through a doorway in the back of the chapel, she climbed a narrow set of creaky stairs up into the attic. Here it was dark and dusty. The only light came through a large stained-glass window that fractured the faint glow of sunrise into tiny, multicolored gems across the floor.**

"It seems like my kind of place," said Christian.

"Not really," I said. "Maybe the basement is a better choice for you."

"Rose," said Lissa. "Be nice."

"Fine."

**I hadn't known until that moment that this room was a regular retreat for Lissa. But now I could feel it, feel her memories of how she used to escape here to be alone and to think. The anxiety in her ebbed away ever so slightly as she took in the familiar surroundings. She climbed up into the window seat and leaned her head back against its side, momentarily entranced by the silence and the light.**

"It sounds peaceful," said Rhea. "A good spot for thinking."

"It is," said Lissa.

**Moroi could stand some sunlight, unlike the Strigoi, but they had to limit their exposure. Sitting here, she could almost pretend she was in the sun, protected by the glass's dilution of the rays.**

_**Breathe, just breathe, **_**she told herself. ****_It'll be okay. Rose will take care of everything_.**

"You have a lot of faith in her," said Ivan.

"Yes, I do," said Lissa.

"I never seen so much faith in a person like that," Ivan said.

**She believed that passionately, like always, and relaxed further. Then a low voice spoke from the darkness.**

"I wonder who it is," I said.

"I don't know," said Mason. He paused for a moment, then snapped, " But we might find out if you let Lisa read."

"**You can have the Academy but not the window seat."**

"How charming," I stated.

**She sprang up, heart pounding. I shared her anxiety, and my own pulse quickened. "Who's there?"**

"A fellow student," I said, with a serious face. A smile broke out on her face for a moment.

**A moment later, a shape rose from behind a stack of crates, just outside her field of vision. The figure stepped forward, and in the poor lighting, familiar features materialized. Messy black hair. Pale blue eyes. A perpetually sardonic smirk. Christian Ozera.**

We all turned to look at had that same smirk on his face.

"**Don't worry," he said. "I won't bite. Well, at least not in the way you're afraid of." He chuckled at his own joke.**

"That is not funny," I said. "You need new material."

"So do you," he snapped.

"At least mine are original," I snapped back.

**She didn't find it funny. She had completely forgotten about Christian. So had I. No matter what happened in our world, a few basic truths about vampires remained the same. Moroi were alive; Strigoi were undead. Moroi were mortal; Strigoi were immortal. Moroi were born; Strigoi were _made_.**

"I think we all know that," said Mason. "It is common knowledge."

I just ignored him.

**And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs, or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go into the sun. This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi.**

"That is so sad," said Rhea.

"I know," said Eric. "But they were going through some problems of their own."

"How do you know?" questioned Christian.

Eric sighed, running a hand through his blond hair. "I knew him growing up. He was a friend, until he married your mother, and we stopped talking to each other. She didn't like me cause I went out with her best friend when I was a young teenage, and that didn't last very long."

"Oh," Christian said.

"Rose," said Janine. I looked at her. "Abe and I want to take to you in the other room."

sighing, I said, "Fine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I will be doing all six books. The bloodline series I will put in consideration. I just don't know where the books will go. So that is up in the air, but if a lot of people want me to add in the bloodline books then I will.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

***Rose Point of view***

"Sure," I said, moving up from the sofa. We headed into the next room. This room was small then the conference room. The walls were a light tan, along with a tan sofa. I sat down on the tan sofa, not wanting to stand while they talk, or yell, at me. Which ever comes first.

They sat down on the sofa farther away from me. Several minutes passed and the room was so quiet you could probably hear a pin drop. Since they weren't going to start the conversation. I thought I might as well go first. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

They shared a look with each other. A look that I recognized so well; sorrow. Their faces looked so much older than what they are.

My absent mother sighed, then said, "Rose, I know that you are very angry at us, because we weren't in your life. We made a lot of mistakes with you and were sorry. We didn't know how to raise a child with our jobs. Our jobs aren't a normal 5 to 7 job. We were busy. I think you need to grow up and act your age."

I blew out the breath that I was holding before snapping my guardian mask on. I was semi good at them now that she is here. "You know what, your right, as always. I know that I'm not important enough for you to send even a simple birthday card. Which only requires going to the store, and only cost one dollar."

I originally wasn't going to say anything, but then my sarcastic side came out. They looked shocked for a moment. Janine looked like she was going to say something but, I said, "Don't even start. I know for a fact that you never wanted any kids so young. Maybe it would have been best if you never had any contacted with me when you left me at the academy."

I got up, left the room before they could say anything. I sat down on the couch next to a single space between Mason and André. My parents came into the room a few minutes after. I didn't even bother to look at them.

I looked around the room, and seen that Ivan was holding the book. Speaking in a monotone, I asked, "Can you please start reading the next chapter?"

Ivan gave me a half-smile before opening up the book to the right page. "No problem, Rose."

**Or rather, they had been Strigoi. A regiment of guardians had hunted them down and killed them. If rumors were true, Christian had witnessed it all when he was very young.**

"I did," said Christian. "It was horrible. But the worst part was having everyone around you think your going to awaken like your parents, even thought your nothing like them."

Most of the students who known him looked to the floor in shame.

"I'm sorry, Christian," I said.

He looked shocked for a moment, then straightened himself up. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Rose, as seeing you didn't do anything."

**And although he wasn't Strigoi himself, some people thought he wasn't far off, with the way he always wore black and kept to himself.**

"Just cause I wear black doesn't mean anything," Christian stated. "It is just a color."

Shrugging my shoulders, I said, "I guess they never heard of anyone being gothic."

**Strigoi or not, I didn't trust him.**

Christian turned towards me, "You don't trust me, Rosie?"

Letting the Rosie commented slide, I said, "I don't know you so how can I trust you?"

"Good point," he said, staring at me. I was getting freaked out so I motioned for Ivan to continue reading.

**He was a jerk, and I silently screamed at Lissa to get out of there—not that my screaming did much good. Stupid one-way bond.**

"At least I wasn't able to get into your head," said Lissa.

Shrugging my shoulders, "I don't think anyone would want to look into my head."

"**What are you doing here?" she asked.**

"Breaking and entering," I said, with a smirk on my face.

"No, that's your job," said Christian.

"**Taking in the sights, of course. That chair with the tarp on it is particularly lovely this time of year. Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir.**

**And let's not forget that beautiful table with no legs in the corner."**

"So much sarcasm," said André. "How will you ever get a girlfriend?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "There is nothing wrong with sarcasm."

"**Whatever." She rolled her eyes and moved toward the door, wanting to leave, but he blocked her way.**

"**Well, what about **_**you**_**?" he taunted. "Why are you up here?Don't you have parties to go to or lives to destroy?"**

"Are you always so nosy?" asked Mason, as he stared at the boy.

Christian shrugged his shoulders, "not really. But I guess it depends on the subject."

**Some of Lissa's old spark returned. "Wow, that's hilarious. Am I like a rite of passage now? Go and see if you can piss off Lissa to prove how cool you are? Some girl I don't even know yelled at me today, and now I've got to deal with you? What does it take to be left alone?"**

"Wow," said Eric, looking at his daughter. "I guess you can handle yourself."

"Yeah I can," said Lissa. She looked at me with her jade green eyes, "I had plenty of help."

"**Oh. So that's why you're up here. For a pity party."**

"Low blow, man," said André. "That is not the way into my baby sister's heart."

Christian was suddenly looking very uncomfortable, so Ivan continued reading.

"**This isn't a joke. I'm serious." I could tell Lissa was getting angry. It was trumping her earlier distress.**

**He shrugged and leaned casually against the sloping wall. **"**So am I. I love pity parties. I wish I'd brought the hats. What do you want to mope about first? How it's going to take you a whole day to be popular and loved again? How you'll have to wait a couple weeks before Holster can ship out some new clothes? If you spring for rush shipping, it might not be so long."**

"That was very rude of you, young man," said Rhea, staring down at Christian.

"Sorry," he said, looking ashamed.

"**Let me leave," she said angrily, this time pushing him aside.**

"Vasilisa!" exclaimed Rhea. "Didn't I tell you that pushing is wrong?"

"Yes," she said. "But I didn't do anything yet. This book is in the future."

"Oh," said Rhea. "I guess your right."

"**Wait," he said, as she reached the door. The sarcasm disappeared from his voice. "What . . . um, what was it like?"**

"**What was **_**what **_**like?" she snapped.**

"Lissa, temper," said André. He leaned behind me, and said, "She's like a fierce kitten."

Lissa glared at him, before taking the pillow from behind her, and throwing it at her brother. It hit him straight in the knee. She really didn't have good aim.

"Lissa," said Eric. "Apologize to your brother."

"Sorry," she said, not meaning it.

"**Being out there. Away from the Academy."**

We all turned towards Lissa, before Ivan started reading again. I think everyone wanted to know her answer, including me.

**She hesitated for a moment before answering, caught off guard by what seemed like a genuine attempt at conversation.**

"I probably was," the person in question said.

"**It was great. No one knew who I was. I was just another face. Not Moroi. Not royal. Not anything." She looked down at the floor. "Everyone here thinks they know who I am."**

"It sounded like it would have been great," I said.

"I know," said Lissa. "Not like all of those royal games either."

"Don't you two get any idea's, girls," warned Rhea.

"**Yeah. It's kind of hard to outlive your past," he said bitterly.**

**It occurred to Lissa at that moment—and me to by default—just how hard it might be to be Christian. Most of the time, people treated him like he didn't exist. Like he was a ghost. They didn't talk to or about him. They just didn't notice him. The stigma of his parents' crime was too strong, casting its shadow onto the entire Ozera family. Still, he'd pissed her off, and she wasn't about to feel sorry for him.**

"Sorry," said Lissa, turning towards Christian.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving her off. "It never happened, so you don't need to worry about apologizing about it."

"**Wait—is this your pity party now? **

**He laughed, almost approvingly. "This room has been my pity party for a year now."**

"**Sorry," said Lissa snarkily. "I was coming here before I left. I've got a longer claim."**

Eric and Rhea looked at their daughter in surprise, before Rhea starting saying, "I never knew you had a sarcastic side, Lissa?"

Lissa looked towards the floor, "Yeah, but it is mainly hidden."

"**Squatters' rights. Besides, I have to make sure I stay near the chapel as much as possible so people know I haven't gone Strigoi . . . yet." Again, the bitter tone rang out.**

"You shouldn't need to prove anything to them, Christian," I told him.

He looked shocked for a moment. I would be to if someone I hate said something nice to me.

"Thank you," he said, sincerely.

"Your welcome," I said, now noticing that I had several sets of eyes on me. "What are you looking at?"

"Rose we never seen you give decent advice to someone you hate," said Mason.

"I don't hate him," I said, pausing for a moment. "I strongly dislike him."

"**I used to always see you at mass. Is that the only reason you go? To look good?" Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground. More of that sinning-against-the-world thing.**

"**Sure," he said. "Why else go? For the good of your **_**soul**_**?"**

"That is why they have one at the academy," said Lissa, turning her slender body towards Christian. He stayed silent.

"**Whatever," said Lissa, who clearly had a different opinion.**

"**I'll leave you alone then."**

"Smart move," said Mason.

"**Wait," he said again. He didn't seem to want her to go.**

"Looks like someone has a crush," I sang out.

"Shut up," said Christian, his cheeks turning a light pink.

"**I'll make you a deal. You can hang out here too if you tell me one thing."**

"**What?" She glanced back at him.**

"She's curious," I said.

"How do you know that?" demanded André, as he stared down at me.

"If she wasn't interested in what he was going to say, she would left him their," I said.

**He leaned forward. "Of all the rumors I heard about you today—and believe me, I heard plenty, even if no one actually told them to me—there was one that didn't come up very much. They dissected everything else: why you left, what you did out there, why you came back, the specialization, what Rose said to Mia, blah, blah, blah. And in all of that, no one, no one ever questioned that stupid story that Rose told about there being all sorts of fringe humans who let you take blood."**

"It seems like Christian is on the verge of finding out your secret," said Mason.

I narrowed my eyes at Christian, "Your future self better not have said anything to anyone."

Christian put his hands up in a surrender. "Chill, I honestly don't think my future self would do that."

**She looked away, and I could feel her cheeks starting to burn. "It's not stupid. Or a story."**

I shook my head at my best friend, "Lissa, we have to work on your lying skills. You never know when you might need them."

She shook her head at me, then sighed, "Rose, I don't need to lie."

**He laughed softly. "I've lived with humans. My aunt and I stayed away after my parents . . . died. It's not that easy to find blood." When she didn't answer, he laughed again. "It was Rose, wasn't it? She fed you."**

"Bingo," I said, sarcastically. "We have a winner. You're the first person to find out."

Christian snorted, "It wasn't that hard to put two and two together."

**A renewed fear shot through both her and me. No one at school could know about that. Kirova and the guardians on the scene knew, but they'd kept that knowledge to themselves.**

"They are professional, Rose," said Janine.

I rolled my eyes. "You never know that a guardian might want revenge."

"Rose," Janine said. "Not all guardian are like you, or will be like you."

Ouch, I thought, not like she actually cares. Ivan continued reading before I could retaliate.

"**Well. If that's not friendship, I don't know what it is," he said.**

"**You can't tell anyone," she blurted out.**

"Who would I honestly tell?" asked Christian.

**This was all we needed. As I'd just been reminded, feeders were vampire-bite addicts. We accepted that as part of life but still looked down on them for it. For anyone else—_especially_ a dhampir—letting a Moroi take blood from you was almost, well, dirty. In fact, one of the kinkiest, practically pornographic things a dhampir could do was let a Moroi drink blood during sex.**

**Lissa and I hadn't had sex, of course, but we'd both known what others would think of me feeding her.**

Ivan suddenly stopped reading. He looked at me with serious eyes. "You were just doing your job by protecting your Moroi. Not a lot of dhampir guardians would do that even in an emergency."

"Thanks, Ivan," I said, trying not to blush at his praise.

"**Don't tell anyone," Lissa repeated.**

**He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and sat down on one of the crates. "Who am I going to tell? Look, go grab the window seat. You can have it today and hang out for a while. If you're not still afraid of me."**

I shook my head. "Good way to make a girl feel comfortable, Sparky."

"Sparky?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nickname," I stated.

**She hesitated, studying him. He looked dark and surly, lips curled in a sort of I'm-such-a-rebel smirk. But he didn't look too dangerous. He didn't look Strigoi. Gingerly, she sat back down in the window seat, unconsciously rubbing her arms against the cold.**

"They have no heaters up their," stated André, with a fond smile on his face.

**Christian watched her, and a moment later, the air warmed up considerably. **

**Lissa met Christian's eyes and smiled, surprised she'd never noticed how icy blue they were before. "You specialized in fire?"**

"I guess that I picked a good nickname for ya, Sparky," I said.

"Shut up, Rosemarie," he muttered, crossing his arms. I just glared at him for calling me by my birth name.

**He nodded and pulled up a broken chair. "Now we have luxury accommodations."**

"That is so not going to win her over," said André, leaning his arm behind my head.

I turned to look at him, "Like you can do any better." I teased him.

**I snapped out of the vision.**

"About time, Rose," said Lissa, with a small grin on her face.

"**Rose? Rose?"**

**Blinking, I focused on Dimitri's face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders. I'd stopped walking; we stood in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings.**

"**Are you all right?"**

"**I . . . yeah. I was . . . I was with Lissa. . . ." I put a hand to my forehead. I'd never had such a long or clear experience like that. "I was in her head."**

"**Her . . . head?"**

"Her head," everyone in the room said. I noticed that the adults all stared at each other.

"**Yeah. It's part of the bond." I didn't really feel like elaborating.**

"You probably don't trust him yet," said Lissa.

"That's true," I said. "Or we don't really have all the answers to the bond ourself."

"**Is she all right?"**

"**Yeah, she's . . ." I hesitated. **_**Was **_**she all right? Christian Ozera had just invited her to hang out with him. Not good. There was "coasting through the middle," and then there was turning to the dark side.**

"Just because I have talked to him doesn't mean that I'm going into the dark side," said Lissa rolling her eyes.

**But the feelings humming through our bond were no longer scared or upset. She was almost content, though still a little nervous. "She's not in danger," I finally said. I hoped.**

"Have a little trust," said Mason.

"**Can you keep going?"**

"Awe, the big bad Russian is so caring," I said.

He just rolled his brown eyes, not bothering to respond.

**The hard, stoic warrior I'd met earlier was gone—just for a moment—and he actually looked concerned. Truly concerned.**

"See, I have emotions," he said, as his Russian accent was thicker.

**Feeling his eyes on me like that made something flutter inside of me—which was stupid, of course. I had no reason to get all goofy, just because the man was too good-looking for his own good. After all, he was an antisocial god, according to Mason. One who was supposedly going to leave me in all sorts of pain.**

"Don't you think that your being a bit dramatic there, Rose?" asked Mason.

"No," I said, with a shake of my head. With a serious face, I said, "Nobody can ever be too dramatic."

"**Yeah. I'm fine."**

"It would take a lot for me for being well," I muttered underneath my breath.

**I went into the gym's dressing room and changed into the workout clothes someone had finally thought to give me after a day of practicing in jeans and a T-shirt. ****Gross.**

"They could have at least waited to get your some workout clothes," said Lissa.

"I know," I said, with a sigh.

**Lissa hanging out with Christian troubled me, but I shoved that thought away for later as my muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today. ****So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time. ****He laughed, and I was pretty sure it was _at _me and not _with _me.**

"That was mean," said Lissa, as she glared at the Russian.

"**Why is that funny?"**

"I was being serious, Comrade," I said.

"**Oh," he said, his smile dropping. "You were serious."**

"**Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for **_**two **_**days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed," I whined. "It's just one hour."**

"Yeah, let Rosie go to bed," commented André. Since he was sitting right next to me, I was able to hear him whisper, "my bed preferably."

**He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love. "How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?"**

"**I hurt like hell."**

"**You'll feel worse tomorrow."**

"**So?"**

"**So, better to jump in now while you still feel . . . not as bad."**

"What the fuck kind of logic is that?" I asked.

"Rose," warned my mother.

I just rolled my eyes at her.

"**What kind of logic is that?" I retorted.**

"Hell, even my future self agrees," I stated.

**But I didn't argue anymore as he led me into the weight room. He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god.**

"Never underestimate the power for a book," said André. "They can open up a whole either world."

Rolling my eyes at him, I said, "Shut up."

**When I finished, he stood beside me and demonstrated a few cool-down stretches.**

"**How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" I asked. "You weren't here a few ****years ago. Were you even trained at this school?"**

**He didn't answer right away. I got the feeling he didn't talk about himself very often.**

"**No. I attended the one in Siberia."**

"**Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana."**

"Montana is not worse than Siberia," said Dimitri. "I think you have it the other way around."

"But it is so cold in Siberia," I wined.

**A glint of something—maybe amusement—sparked in his eyes, but he didn't acknowledge the joke. "After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently."**

Ivan paused in his reading. His face grew paler than it already was. I think that he knew that he just died. Mrs. Dragomir being the observant one asked, "Would you like me to finish reading this chapter, dear?"

"No," he said after a moment. "I'm fine."

**His smile dropped, his face grew dark. "They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus."**

**I thought about what he'd said before. Some Strigoi killed the guy he was supposed to have been guarding? **

"**Did this lord die on your watch?"**

"Rose!" Exclaimed Lissa. "That was rude."

"Sorry," I said.

"**No. He was with his other guardian. I was away."**

**He fell silent, his mind obviously somewhere else. The ****Moroi expected a lot from us, but they did recognize that the guardians were—more or less—only human. So, guardians got pay and time off like you'd get in any other job. Some hard-core guardians—like my mom—refused vacations, vowing never to leave their Moroi's sides. Looking at Dimitri now, I had a feeling he might very well turn into one of those.**

"I am one of those," said Dimitri. "As you said."

**If he'd been away on legitimate leave, he could hardly blame himself for what happened to that guy. Still, he probably did anyway. I'd blame myself too if something happened to Lissa.**

Lissa turned her head to look at me, "You will not blame yourself if something happened to me. I forbid it."

"But I would always blame myself if something happened to you."

"Rose," she starting saying.

"No, Lissa, that is something that I would always worry about," I told her.

"**Hey," I said, suddenly wanting to cheer him up, "did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that."**

**He arched an eyebrow curiously. Cool. I'd always wished I could do that. "You're complimenting me on that?"**

"**Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."**

"I don't think that the school would sent psi-hounds," said Abe thoughtfully. this was the first time he talked in a while. I just ignored him.

"**Last one?"**

"**Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds."**

"**This was the first time we found you. In Portland."**

**I sat up from my stretches and crossed my legs. "Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it."**

"They would have told him about it," said my mother. "As seeing he was in charge of bring you two back. he would be informed if any or rescue tempt by the school."

"**Maybe," he said dismissively. I could tell by his face he didn't believe that.**

**I returned to the novices' dorm after that. The Moroi students lived on the other side of the quad, closer to the commons. The living arrangements were partly based on convenience. ****Being here kept us novices closer to the gym and training grounds. But we also lived separately to accommodate the differences in Moroi and dhampir lifestyles. Their dorm had almost no windows, aside from tinted ones that dimmed sunlight. They also had a special section where feeders always stayed on hand. The novices' dorm was built in a more open way, allowing for more light.**

**I had my own room because there were so few novices, let alone girls. The room they'd given me was small and plain, with a twin bed and a desk with a computer. My few belongings had been spirited out of Portland and now sat in boxes around the room. I rummaged through them, pulling out a T-shirt to sleep in. I found a couple of pictures as I did, one of Lissa and me at a football game in Portland and another taken when I'd gone on vacation with her family, a year before the accident.**

"We already been on that vacation," stated Eric.

"That was already six months ago," stated Rhea.

"Maybe we are suppose to change the future by reading theses books," said André.

"That might be right," said Mason. "If you think about it."

"True," said Lissa. "We can fix Roses' relationship with her parents? Fix all of you from not dying?"

**I set them on my desk and booted up the computer. Someone from tech support had helpfully given me a sheet with instructions for renewing my e-mail account and setting up a password. I did both, happy to discover no one had realized that this would serve as a way for me to communicate with Lissa. Too tired to write to her now, I was about to turn everything off when I noticed I already had a message. From Janine Hathaway. It was short:**

_**I'm glad you're back. What you did was inexcusable.**_

Abe turned to look at my mother. His face was unreadable. "She has been gone for two years and that is all you say to her. I'm so disappointed in you Janine."

I sat there in shock. I never thought I would see him stick up for me.

"**Love you too, Mom," I muttered, shutting it all down.**

**When I went to bed afterward, I passed out before even hitting the pillow, and just as Dimitri had predicted, I felt ten times worse when I woke up the next morning. Lying there in bed, I reconsidered the perks of running away. Then I remembered getting my ass kicked and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to go endure some more of it this morning.**

**My soreness made it all that much worse, but I survived the before-school practice with Dimitri and my subsequent classes without passing out or fainting.**

"That's not good," said Rhea. "Your body is not supposed to do that."

**At lunch, I dragged Lissa away from Natalie's table early and gave her a Kirova-worthy lecture about Christian ****particularly chastising her for letting him know about our blood arrangement. If that got out, it'd kill both of us socially, and I didn't trust him not to tell. ****Lissa had other concerns.**

"**You were in my head again?" she exclaimed. "For **_**that **_**long?"**

"I probably could have stayed in their longer if my future self wanted to, I pointed out to her.

"True," she said after a moment of thinking about it. "I also have a funny feeling that you will be using the bond throughout theses books."

"**I didn't do it on purpose," I argued. "It just happened. ****And that's not the point. How long did you hang out with him afterward?"**

"**Not that long. It was kind of . . . fun."**

"See," said Christian, who I forgot was in the room. "I'm very fun to hang around with."

"Oh, joy," I said sarcastically.

"**Well, you can't do it again. If people find out you're hanging out with him, they'll crucify you." I eyed her warily. "You aren't, like, into him, are you?"**

**She scoffed. "No. Of course not."**

"Awe, man, I guess I got my hopes up," said Christian. he looked a bit out of sorts.

Lissa looked to the side of the room, trying not to look at him.

"**Good. Because if you're going to go after a guy, steal Aaron back." He was boring, yes, but safe. Just like Natalie.**

**How come all the harmless people were so lame? Maybe that was the definition of safe. She laughed. "Mia would claw my eyes out."**

"**We can take her. Besides, he deserves someone who doesn't shop at Gap Kids."**

"**Rose, you've got to stop saying things like that."**

"**I'm just saying what you won't."**

"That's true," said Mason.

"**She's only a year younger," said Lissa. She laughed. "I can't believe you think **_**I'm **_**the one who's going to get us in trouble."**

**Smiling as we strolled toward class, I gave her a sidelong glance. "Aaron does look pretty good though, huh?"**

"Awe, does Rosie have a little crush on him?" asked Christian, sarcastically.

"No," I said, rolling my eyes.

**She smiled back and avoided my eyes. "Yeah. Pretty good."**

"**Ooh. You see? You should go after him."**

"**Whatever. I'm fine being friends now."**

"**Friends who used to stick their tongues down each other's throats."**

"I don't want to hear this," wined André.

**She rolled her eyes.**

"**Fine." I let my teasing go. "Let Aaron stay in the nursery school. Just so long as you stay away from Christian. He's dangerous."**

"**You're overreacting. He's not going Strigoi."**

"**He's a bad influence."**

"I'm not the one who is a bad influence," Christian muttered.

**She laughed. "You think _I'm _in danger of going Strigoi?"**

"No, I don't think you will," I said to Lissa honestly.

**She didn't wait for my answer, instead pushing ahead to open the door to our science class. Standing there, I uneasily replayed her words and then followed a moment later. When I did, I got to see royal power in action. A few guys—with giggling, watching girls—were messing with a gangly-looking Moroi. I didn't know him very well, but I knew he was poor and certainly not royal. A couple of his tormentors were airmagic users, and they'd blown the papers off his desk and were pushing them around the room on currents of air while the guy tried to catch them.**

**My instincts urged me to do something, maybe go smack one of the air users. But I couldn't pick a fight with everyone who annoyed me, and certainly not a group of royals—especially when Lissa needed to stay off their radar. So I could only give them a look of disgust as I walked to my desk. As I did, a hand caught my arm. Jesse.**

"Now, he," said Lissa, "is nothing but trouble. You should-be very careful around him."

"I will," I said, seriously.

"**Hey," I said jokingly. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be participating in the torture session. "Hands off the merchandise."**

**He flashed me a smile but kept his hand on me. "Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Ms. Karp's class."**

**I cocked my head toward him, giving him a playful smile. **"**I started a lot of fights in her class."**

"You should have just said you started a lot of fights," said Mason.

"I know," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"**The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil."**

"You better not have," said Lissa. Her jade green eyes harden at the thought of defenseless animals fighting.

Raising my hands, as a sign of surrender, I said, "Never. I won't let that happen to those poor animals even though they don't like me."

**I laughed, recalling it. "Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think.****I just dropped it into the crab's tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at it."**

**Paul, a guy sitting nearby whom I didn't really know, chuckled too. He'd transferred last year, apparently, and hadn't heard of this. "Who won?"**

**I looked at Jesse quizzically. "I don't remember. Do you?"**

"**No. I just remember Karp freaking out." He turned toward Paul. "Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn't make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep."**

"She's not that bad," said Lissa. Several pairs of eyes looked towards her, so she said, "I mean from now on."

**I smiled tightly, like I thought it was funny. Instead, I thought back to Ms. Karp again, surprised to be thinking about her for the second time in two days. ****Jesse was right— she _had _wandered campus a lot when she still worked here. ****It was pretty creepy. I'd run into her once—unexpectedly.**

Lissa turned towards me, "I never heard about this?"

"I don't think it happened yet." I answered.

"Oh," she said, sitting further back in her seat.

**I'd been climbing out of my dorm window to go hang out with some people. It was after hours, and we were all supposed to be in our rooms, fast asleep. Such escape tactics were a regular practice for me. I was good at them. ****But I fell that time.**

"Ouch," said André. "That must have hurt a lot."

**I had a second-floor room, and I lost my grip about halfway down. Sensing the ground rush up toward me, I tried desperately to grab hold of something and slow my fall. The building's rough stone tore into my skin, causing cuts I was too preoccupied to feel. I slammed into the grassy earth, back first, getting the wind knocked out of me.**

"I can tell that, that hurt a lot," said Lissa, as she winced.

"It sounds like it," I said.

"**Bad form, Rosemarie. You should be more careful. Your instructors would be disappointed."**

**Peering through the tangle of my hair, I saw Ms. Karp looking down at me, a bemused look on her face. Pain, in the meantime, shot through every part of my body.**

**Ignoring it as best I could, I clambered to my feet. Being in class with Crazy Karp while surrounded by other students was one thing. Standing outside alone with her was an entirely different matter. She always had an eerie, distracted gleam in her eye that made my skin break out in goose bumps. ****There was also now a high likelihood she'd drag me off to Kirova for a detention. Scarier still.**

"Really, Rose," said Mason, as he turned his head to look at me. "Your worried about getting detention?"

"Maybe," I said. mysteriously.

**Instead, she just smiled and reached for my hands. I flinched but let her take them. She _tsk_ed when she saw the scrapes. Tightening her grip on them, she frowned slightly. A tingle burned my skin, laced with a sort of pleasant buzz, and then the wounds closed up. I had a brief sense of dizziness. ****My temperature spiked. The blood disappeared, as did the pain in my hip and leg. ****Gasping, I jerked my hands away. I'd seen a lot of Moroi magic, but never anything like that.**

"**What . . . what did you do?"**

**She gave me that weird smile again. "Go back to your dorm, Rose. There are bad things out here. You never know what's following you."**

"Now, that is creepy," said Christian.

"I kind of figured that," I said.

**I was still staring at my hands. "But . . ."**

**I looked back up at her and for the first time noticed scars on the sides of her forehead. Like nails had dug into them.**

"I think she needs some help," said Rhea.

**She winked. "I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me."**

Shaking my head, I felt the silent laughter coming on. "That just sounds so wrong."

"Get you mind out of the gutter, Rose," said Lissa, with a slight smirk on her face.

**I jumped back to the present, unsettled by the memory of that bizarre night. Jesse, in the meantime, was telling me about a party.**

"**You've got to slip your leash tonight. We're going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed."**

"Rose!" warned my mother.

I just rolled my eyes at her again, while not speaking to her.

**I sighed wistfully, regret replacing the chill I'd felt over the memory of Ms. Karp. "Can't slip that leash. I'm with my Russian jailer."**

"Oh, Lovely," said Dimitri, sarcastically. His Russian accent was thicker now. "Now I'm a jailer. How many more nicknames will I have?"

"I don't know," I said, honestly.

**He let go of my arm, looking disappointed, and ran a hand through his bronze-colored hair. Yeah. Not being able to hang out with him was a damned shame. I really would have to fix that someday. "Can't you ever get off for good behavior?" he joked.**

**I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile as I found my seat. "Sure," I called over my shoulder. "If I was ever good."**

"That is the end of the chapter," said Ivan.

"Thank god it's over," said Mason. "I never knew Rosie's thought's are amusing."

"Not call me Rosie, Mase," I snapped at him.

"That's nothing but the truth," said Christian.

"Well since you think that's the truth you can read the next chapter," I told him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**This chapter is in Christian's, Abe's, and Lissa's point of view.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Christian's point of view**

"Do I have to read," I complained to the group.

"Yes," said Rose.

"Fine," I snapped. I smirked at her, "If I'm going to read this chapter, then I want you to read after me."

"Whatever," she snapped back angrily.

**As much as Lissa and Christian's meeting bothered me, it gave me an idea the next day.**

"How sweet," I said, teasingly. "I guess I'm intelligent enough to give the brave Rose Hathaway some awesome advice."

"Oh, shut up, Sparky," she said, rolling her eyes.

"**Hey, Kirova-er, Ms. Kirova." I stood in the door way of her office, not having bothered to make an appointment. She raised her eyes from some paperwork, clearly annoyed to see me.**

"Everyone is clearly annoyed to see you," I stated.

Rose glared at me, "Everyone is happy to see me. I'm one hundred percent lovable."

"You got that right," said André, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Mason glared at the blond guy. "Your one hundred percent lovable."

"**Yes, Miss Hathaway?"**

"**Does my house arrest mean I can't go to church?"**

"Hell must have frozen over," commented Lissa.

"Why?" asked her mother.

"Rose, is not religious," said Lissa.

"You are that right on that issue," Rose stated, with a nod of her head.

"**I beg your pardon?"**

"I think she was also stunned by you, Rosie," said Mason.

Rose crinkled her nose, "I guess there is a first time for everything."

"You got that right," said André, looked down at her.

I could tell that their will be some drama between Rose and the two boys that now have a thing for her. Whatever is going down I'm will be their in the front row.

"**You said that whenever I'm not in class or practice, I have to stay in the dorm. But what about church on Sundays? I don't think it's fair to keep me away from my religious … um, needs."**

Lissa shook her head at her friend, "It would have been more believable if you didn't add the um in their."

"It was...um...some last minute thinking," said Rose, with a smile on her face.

"Really," said Mason, as he looked down on her.

"Sarcasm will get you nowhere in life," stated Janine.

I noticed that Rose, instantly tensed up, at her mother destroying her self-esteem. I started to read to save her the hustle of pain her mother inflected upon her.

**Or deprive me of another chance – no matter how short and boring – to hang out with Lissa.**

"I bet you would do anything to hang out with Lissa," Ivan said. His tone was a bit seductive.

"It depends on the situation " Rose replied.

Abe growled low in his throat. His eyes were twitching as he glared at Ivan. His fist was tightly clenched together. He took a deep breath before going back to normal. That was weird, I thought to myself.

* * *

**~Abe's Point of view~**

I think I made the worse mistake of my life. I stupidly agreed with Janine that she should have handled Rose, since she claimed to know her better. I think that was a load of crap.

Just by looking at my teenage daughter, she looked miserable. Every time Janine said something to piss her off, she didn't even bother correcting her.

**She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I wasn't aware you had any religious needs."**

"**I found Jesus while I was gone."**

"Just like you found chocolate doughnuts?" asked Ivan.

Rose gave him a confused look. "No, I was always a chocolate doughnut eater. their my favorite, besides pizza and brownies."

"**Isn't your mother an atheist?" she asked skeptically.**

"Yes, I am," stated Janine, with a proud look on her face. I think most of us decided to ignore her.

"**And my dad's probably Muslim. ****But I've moved on to my own path. You shouldn't keep me from it."**

"Actually, kiddies, I'm not religious," I told her.

**She made a noise that sort of sounded like a snicker. "No, , I should not. Very well. You may attend services on Sunday's."**

"That was easy," said Dimitri.

"It looked like it," Rose replied. "But I guess that is how I am."

"Rose!" exclaimed Lissa. "There is a double meaning behind that sentence."

"Oh, well," she replied. "Everyone already thinks I'm a slut, so why don't I just embrace the outcome."

**The victory was short-lived, however, because church was every bit as lame as I remembered when I attended a few days later. ****I did get to sit next to Lissa, though, which made me feel like I was getting away with something. Mostly I just people-watched.**

"That sounds like fun," Rhea admitted.

"Not really," said Lissa. "It gets boring after a while."

**Church was optional for students, but with so many Eastern European families, a lot of students were Eastern Orthodox Christians and attended either because they believed or because their parents made them. ****Christian sat on the opposite side of the aisle, pretending to be just as holy as he'd said. As much as I didn't like him, his fake faith still made me smile.**

"Awe, Rosie, I didn't know I could make you smile," Christian said with a fake girly personally.

"Just read," Rose muttered underneath her breath.

**Dimitri sat in the back, face lined with shadows, and like me, didn't take communion. As thoughtful as he looked, I wondered if he even listened to the service. I tuned in and out.**

"I do actually listen to the services," stated Dimitri.

"**Following God's path is never easy," the priest was saying. "Even St. Vladimir, this school's own patron saint, had a difficult time. He was so filled with spirit ****that people often flocked around him, enthralled just to listen and be in his presence. So great was his spirit, the old texts say, that he could heal the sick. ****Yet despite these gifts, many did not respect him. They mocked him, claiming he was misguided and confused."**

"I think that this sounds like it could deal with the bond between Rose and I," said Lissa.

"Maybe, he is totally clueless also," stated Rose. Several people turned to stare at her. "I mean... he says the same thing over and over. Maybe he thinks spirit is something within his faith."

"Who knows," stated André. "It's better than nothing."

"True," Rose responded.

**Which was a nice way of saying Vladimir was insane. Everyone knew it. He was one of a handful of Moroi saints, so the priest liked to talk about him a lot. I'd heard all about him, many times over, before we left. Great. It looked like I had an eternity of Sundays to hear his story over and over again.**

"It looks like your agreeing with your future self, Rosie," Ivan teased.

Rose huffed, angrily, "The next person who calls me, Rosie, will suffer from a broken nose."

She's certainly is my daughter, I thought.

"… **and so it was with shadow-kissed Anna."**

"At least we know that there is another person like my future self," said Rose.

"Yeah," said Janine, mockingly. "But she has been dead for centuries."

**I jerked my head up. I had no idea what the priest was talking about now, because I hadn't been listening for some time. ****But those words burned into me. ****_Shadow-kissed. _****It had been a while since I heard them, but I've never forgotten them. I waited, hoping he'd continue, but he'd already moved on to the next part of the service. The sermon was over.**

**Church concluded, and as Lissa turned to go, I shook my head at her. "Wait for me. I'll be right there."**

"Are you going to talk to the priest?" questioned Mason.

Rose looked at him, "Mason, I think you are forgetting that this didn't happen yet. So I have no idea if I'm headed in that direction."

**I pushed my way through the crowd, up to the front, where the priest was speaking with a few people. I waited impatiently while he finished.****Natalie was there, asking him about volunteer work she could do. Ugh. When she finished, she left, greeting me as she passed.**

**The priest raised his eyebrows when he saw me. "Hello, Rose. It's nice to see you again."**

"I guess he is surprise that you actually showed up for a Sunday service," said Lissa.

"Yeah," said Rose, sounding a bit depressed.

"Rose, can I talk to you in the other room for a moment?" asked Lissa.

"Sure," she said. "I think the others need a five-minute break anyway."

* * *

**~Lissa's Point of view~**

As soon as Rose and I entered a small office, I asked her the first question that came to my mind. "Rose, I know that there is something wrong. What is it?"

She breathed loudly, and decided that the pattern of the carpet was more interesting. "My mother," she spat out venomously, "is driving me up the wall."

I walked over to her, placing my small hand on her shoulder. "Rose, don't listen to her. She is afraid to get to know the real you. Personally I think she is trying to get you away from her so she will feel like she didn't make a mistake about not raising you herself."

"Thank you, Lissa," she replied, still sounding a bit sad. "Let get back to the group."

"Okay," I said, a bit hopefully. I would be able to see Christian again.

"**Yeah … you too," I said. "I heard you talking about Anna. About how she was 'shadow-kissed.' What does that mean?"**

**He frowned. "I'm not entirely sure. She lived a very long time ago. It was often common to refer to people by titles that reflected some of their traits. It might have been given to make her sound fierce."**

"That was such a lame excuse!" exclaimed Mason, with an outrageous look on his face.

"Not everyone is perfect, Mason," said Rose, looking a bit grown-up.

**I tried to hide my disappointment. "Oh. So who was she?"**

**This time his frown was disapproving rather than thoughtful. "I mentioned it a number of times."**

"**Oh. I must have, um, missed that."**

"Bad, Rose," scolded André.

"Oh, shut it," she told him playfully.

**His disapproval grew, and he turned around. "Wait just a moment."**

**He disappeared through the door near the altar, the one Lissa had taken to the attic. I considered fleeing but thought God might strike me down for that.**

"That would never happen," I said, seriously. "The priest might be a bit disappointing."

"Thanks for clearing that up," Rose said, sarcastically.

"Your welcome," I said.

**Less than a minute later, the priest returned with a book. He handed it to me. ****_Moroi Saints._**

"Sucks being you," said Christian. "Getting homework from the priest."

"**You can learn about her in here. The next time I see you, I'd like to hear what you've learned."**

"You did ask him, Rose," I told her. "It was bound to happen."

"I know," she said, trying to glare hole through the floor.

**I scowled as I walked away. Great. Homework from the priest.**

**In the chapel's entryway, I found Lissa talking to Aaron. She smiled as she spoke, and the feelings coming off her were happy, though certainly not infatuated.**

Shaking my head, I said to Rose, "I don't think my future self is going to become attracted to Aaron in that way."

"**You're kidding," she exclaimed.**

**He shook his head. "Nope."**

"Probably the normal gossip," said Rose, as her head leaned against Andre's shoulder.

**Seeing me stroll over, she turned to me. "Rose, you're never going to believe this. You know Abby Badica? And Xander? Their guardian wants to resign. And marry ****_another _****guardian."**

**Now ****_this _****was exciting gossip. A scandal actually. "Seriously? Are they, like going to run off together?"**

**She nodded. "They're getting a house. Going to get jobs with humans, I guess."**

Rose huffed. I had a glint in my jade eyes as I asked, "Do you agree with that, Rose?"

"No," she said. "If their in love than their in love. they should have to quiet their jobs just because they fell in love. They should have been able to work at an academy or the royal court. Or guard two people who are close to each other than they could also be with their partners and do the job that they love."

**I glanced at Aaron, who had suddenly turned shy with me there. "How are Abby and Xander dealing with that?"**

"**Okay. Embarrassed. They think it's stupid." Then he realized who he was speaking to. "Oh. I didn't mean- "**

"**Whatever." I gave him a tight smile. "It is stupid."**

"Rose, you shouldn't have to worry to express yourself," I told her.

"Thanks, Lissa," she said, with a genuine smile.

**Wow. I was stunned. The rebellious part of me loved any story where people "fought the system." Only, in this case, they were fighting ****_my _****system, the one I'd been trained to believe in my entire life. ****Dhampirs and Moroi had a strange arrangement. Dhampirs had originally been born from Moroi mixing with humans. Unfortunately, dhampirs couldn't reproduce with each other- or with humans. It was a weird genetic thing. Mules were the same way, I'd been told, though that wasn't a comparison I really liked hearing.**

"I didn't know that your are a mule, Rosie," taunted Christian.

Rose glared at him, "Remember what the fuck I said? Don't fucking call me Rosie?"

**Dhampirs and full Moroi ****_could _****have children together, and, through another genetic oddity, their kids came out as standard dhampirs, with half human genes, half vampire genes.****With Moroi being the only ones with whom dhampirs could reproduce, we had to stay close to them and intermingle with them. Likewise, it became important to us that the Moroi simply ****_survived. _****Without them, we were done. And with the way Strigoi loved picking off Moroi, their survival became a legitimate concern for us.**

"Dhampir's should also be cared for also," I stated. "They protect us, but who protect them. They sacrifice themselves so we can have a life."

**That was how the guardian system developed. Dhampirs couldn't work magic, but we made great warriors.**

"But we should also be able to use our magic for the greater good," I said, believing in those words.

**We'd inherited enhanced senses and reflexes from our vampire genes and better strength and endurance from our human genes. We also weren't limited by a need for blood or trouble with sunlight. Sure, we weren't as powerful as the Strigoi, but we trained hard, and guardians did a kick-ass job at keeping Moroi safe. Most dhampirs felt it was worth risking their own lives to make sure our kind could still keep having children.**

"Those who actually want to become a parent to their children," Rose muttered, bitterly.

**Since Moroi usually wanted to have and raise Moroi children, you didn't find a lot of long-term Moroi-dhampir romances. ****You especially didn't find a lot of Moroi women hooking up with dhampir guys. ****But plenty of young Moroi men liked fooling around with dhampir women. That left a lot of single dhampir mothers, but we were tough and could handle it.**

"They might be tough, but a child still needs their father in their life from a young age," I said. My eyes went towards Abe, then Rose, who had her eyes closed.

**However, many dhampir mothers chose not to become guardians in order to raise their children. These women sometimes worked 'regular' jobs with Moroi or humans; some of them lived together in communities. These communities had a bad reputation. I don't know how much of it was true, but rumors said Moroi men visited ****_all the time _****for sex, and that some dhampir women let them drink blood while doing it. Blood whores.**

Dimitri who was sitting comfortable a couple of minutes ago, stiffened after that last paragraph. "Just because they live in one of those communities does not mean that they are having sex with every available man," he growled out.

Ivan whispered something into Dimitri's ear, which calmed him down a lot.

**Regardless, almost all guardians were men, which meant that there were a lot more Moroi than guardians. Most dhampir guys accepted that they wouldn't have kids. ****They knew it was their job to protect Moroi while their sisters and cousins had babies.****Some dhampir women, like my mother, still felt it was their duty to become guardians – even if it meant not raising their own kids. After I'd been born, she'd handed me over to be raised by Moroi.**

**Moroi and dhampirs start school pretty young, and the Academy had essentially taken over as my parent by the time I was four. Between her example and my life at the Academy, I believed wholeheartedly that it was a dhampir's job to protect Moroi. It was part of our heritage, ****_and _****it was the only way we'd keep going. It was that simple.**

"More like brainwashed them," I said, darkly. Christian, who was sitting next to me, heard and grabbed my hand for support.

**And that was what made what the Badicas' guardian had done so shocking. He'd abandoned his Moroi and run off with another guardian, which meant she'd abandoned ****_her _****Moroi. They couldn't even have children together, ****and now two families were unprotected. What was the point? No one cared if teenage dhampirs dated or if adult dhampirs had flings. But a long-term relationship? Particularly one that involved them running away? A complete waste. And a disgrace.**

"Not true," whispered Rose. "I think it is a twisted thing called slavery."

"I thought that you wanted to become a guardian," taunted Janine.

"I will become a guardian," Rose stated. "Just because I believe that doesn't mean i will be giving up me guardian Lissa."

**After a little more speculation on the Badicas, Lissa and I left Aaron. As we stepped outside, I heard a funny shifting sound and then something sliding.**

**Too late, I realized what was happening, just as a pile of slush slid off the chapel's roof and onto us. It was early October, and we'd had early snow last night that had started melting almost immediately. As a result, the stuff that fell on us was very wet and very cold.**

"Ouch," I muttered.

**Lissa took the brunt of it, but I still yelped as icy water landed on my hair and neck. A few others squealed nearby too, having caught the edge of the mini-avalanche.**

"I guess someone decided to take revenge against us so soon," Rose said.

"**You okay?" I asked her. Her coat was drenched, and her platinum hair clung to the sides of her face.**

"**Y-yeah," she said through chattering teeth.****I pulled off my coat and handed it to her.**

**It had a slick surface and had repelled most of the water. "Take yours off."**

"I never knew that you could be nice, Rosemarie," said Janine.

"First of all, don't called me Rosemarie," said Rose, through gritted teeth. "Second you never visited me so you don't know me. whether I'm nice or mean."

"**But you'll be –"**

"**Take this."**

**She did, and as she slipped on my coat, I finally tuned into the laughter that always follows these situations. I avoided the eyes, instead focusing on holding Lissa's wet jacket while she changed.**

"**Wish you hadn't been wearing a coat, Rose," said Ralf Sarcozy, an unusually bulky and plump Moroi. I hated him. "That shirt would have looked good wet."**

"That guy's an asshole," said André.

"André!" exclaimed our mother.

"**That shirt's so ugly it should be burned. Did you get that from a homeless person?"**

**I glanced up as Mia walked over and looped her arm through Aaron's. Her blond curls were arranged perfectly, and she had an awesome pair of black heels that would have looked much better on me.**

**At least they made her look taller, I'd give her that. Aaron had been a few steps behind us but had miraculously avoided being nailed by the slush. Seeing how smug she looked, I decided there'd been no miracles involved.**

"She's probably a water user," said Eric.

"**I suppose you want to offer to burn it, huh?" I asked, refusing to let her know how much that insult bugged me. I knew perfectly well my fashion sense had slipped over the last two years. "Oh, wait – fire isn't your element, is it? You work with water. What a coincidence that a bunch just fell on us."**

**Mia looked as if she'd been insulted, but the gleam in her eyes showed that she was enjoying this way too much to be an innocent bystander. "What's that supposed to mean?"**

"She just can't stand to Rose's level at getting back at people," said Mason.

"**Nothing to me. But Ms. Kirova will probably have something to say when she finds out you used magic against another student."**

"She probably wouldn't believe you, Rose," said Mason.

"I know," she said, letting out a deep breath. "Besides, it's not like I actually went to her or ever will."

"**That wasn't an attack," she scoffed. "And it wasn't me. It was an act of God."**

"I guess she keeps tell herself that just so she can sleep at night," Rose said, with a small smile.

**A few others laughed, much to her delight. In my imagination, I responded with, ****_So is this, _****and then slammed her into the side of the church. In real life, Lissa simply nudged me and said, "Lets go."**

"Good thing that you didn't push that innocent girl into the wall," said Janine.

"Hell if she is innocent then I'm a super mode," said Rose, sarcastically.

**She and I walked off toward our respective dorms, leaving behind laughter and jokes about our wet states and how Lissa wouldn't know anything about specialization. Inside, I seethed. ****I had to do something about Mia, I realized. In addition to the general irritation of Mia's bitchiness, I didn't want Lissa to have to deal with any more stress than she had to. We'd been okay this first week, and I wanted to keep it that way.**

"Always coming to the rescue," I said to Rose, with a smile on my face.

"**You know," I said, "I'm thinking more and more that you stealing Aaron back is a good thing. It'll teach Bitch Doll a lesson. ****I bet it'd be easy too. He's still crazy about you."**

"**I don't want to teach anyone a lesson," said Lissa. "And **_**I'm **_**not crazy about him."**

"I told you, Rose," I said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Sorry," she said, sheepishly.

"**Come on, she picks fights and talks about us behind our backs. She accused me of getting jeans from the Salvation Army yesterday."**

"**Your jeans **_**are **_**from the Salvation Army."**

"**Well yeah." I snorted, "but she has no right making fun of them when she's wearing stuff from Target."**

"**Hey, there's nothing wrong with Target. I like Target."**

"Yeah, Target is a well-known store," said Janine, like we didn't know what that is. "Besides they have the best deals on all products."

"I think everyone in this room knows about Target," said Rose, while she looked are her red covered fingernails.

"**So do I. That's not the point. She'd trying to pass her stuff off like it's freaking Stella McCartney."**

"**And that's a crime?"**

"Very much so, dear sister," said André.

**I affected a solemn face. "Absolutely. You've gotta take revenge."**

"**I told you, I'm not interested in revenge." Lissa cut me a sidelong look. "And you shouldn't be either."**

"That won't last that long," said Rose.

**I smiled as innocently as I could, and when we parted ways, I felt relieved again that she couldn't read my thoughts.**

"**So when's the big catfight going to happen?"**

"Unfortunately, that didn't happen," said Rose, sounding a bit sad.

**Mason was waiting for me outside our dorm after I'd parted ways with Lissa. He looked lazy and cute, leaning against the wall with crossed arms as he watched me.**

"Awe, you think I'm cute?" asked Mason.

"Totally," said Rose.

"**I'm sure I don't know what you mean."**

**He unfolded himself and walked with me into the building, handing me his coat, since I'd let Lissa go off with my dry one.**

"**I saw you guys sparring outside the chapel. Have you no respect for the house of God?"**

Rose looked at him. "Mason, did you really think that I was going to change that much in two years?"

"Sorry, Rosie," said Mason, apologetically. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

**I snorted. "You've got about as much respect for it as I do, you heathen. ****You didn't even go. Besides, as you said, we were ****_outside."_**

"**And you still didn't answer the question."**

**I just grinned and slipped on his coat. ****We stood in the common area of our dorm, a well-supervised lounge and study area where male and female students could mingle, along with Moroi guests. Being Sunday, it was pretty crowded with those cramming for last-minute assignments due tomorrow. Spying a small, empty table, I grabbed Mason's arm and pulled him toward it.**

"Weren't you suppose to go too your room, Rose?" asked Janine.

"**Aren't you supposed to go straight to your room?"**

Mason winced at this, which only Rose and I noticed.

**I hunkered down in my seat, glancing around warily. **

"**There are so many people here today, it'll take them a while to notice me. God, I'm so sick of being locked away. And it's only been a week."**

"**I'm sick of it too. ****We missed you last night. A bunch of us went and shot pool in the rec room. Eddie was on fire."**

Christian smirked at Rose, "Missing the social life, yet?"

"Defiantly," said Rose, with a serious expression.

**I groaned. "Don't tell me that. I don't want to hear about your glamorous social life."**

"**All right." He propped his elbow up on the table and rested his chin in his hand. "Then tell me about Mia. You're just going to turn around and punch her one day, aren't you? ****I think I remember you doing that at least ten times with people that pissed you off."**

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "Rosie, has on bad temper."

"Lissa, please don't start calling me Rosie," said Rose, pleading with me.

"**I'm a new, reformed Rose," I said, doing my best impression of demure.**

"That would be the day when pigs fly," Rose announced.

**Which wasn't very good. He emitted a choking sort of laugh. "Besides, if I do that, I'll have broken my probation with Kirova. Gotta walk the straight and narrow."**

"**In other words, find some way to get back at Mia that you won't get in trouble for."**

"You are just like your father," said Janine. Rose sat up a bit more after hearing that.

**I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips. "You know what I like about you, Mase? You think just like I do."**

"**Frightening concept," he replied drily. "So tell me what you think of this: I might know something about her, but I probably shouldn't tell you …"**

Rose turned towards him, she winked, "You probably will tell me anyways,"

**I leaned forward. "Oh, you already tipped me off. You've ****_got _****to tell me now."**

"**It'd be wrong," he teased. "How do I know you'd use this knowledge for good instead of evil?"**

"Don't you know me at all," said Rose, teasingly.

A light blush covered Mason's face, "Yeah, I think I woke up on the in a bad mood."

**I batted my eyelashes. "Can you resist this face?"**

"No," said Mason, seriously. "Then again I don't think any guy would be able to."

"Why thank you, Mason," said Rose, with a giant grin on her face. It was nice seeing my best friend a bit happy.

**He took a moment to study me. "No. I can't, actually. Okay, here you go: Mia isn't royal."**

"I think we kind of figured that out," said André, sneering.

**I slouched back in my chair. "No kidding. I already knew that. I've known who's royal since I was two."**

"**Yeah, but there's more than just that. Her parents work for one of the Drozdov lords." I waved my hand impatiently. A lot of Moroi worked out in the human world, but Moroi society had plenty of jobs for its own kind too. Someone had to fill them. "Cleaning stuff. Practically servants. Her dad cuts grass, and her moms a maid."**

"You seriously will use that against her sometime," I said.

**I actually had healthy respect for anyone who pulled a full day's work, regardless of the job. People everywhere had to do crappy stuff to make a living. But, much like with Target, it became another matter altogether when someone was trying to pass herself off as something else. ****And in the week I'd been here, I'd picked up on how desperately Mia wanted to fit in with the school élite.**

"Poor girl," said Rhea. "She should just be herself."

"**No one knows," I said thoughtfully.**

"**And she doesn't want them to. You know how the royals are." He paused. "Well, except for Lissa, of course. ****They'd give Mia a hard time over it."**

"**How do you know all this?"**

"**My uncle's a guardian for the Drozdovs."**

"**And you've just been sitting on this secret, huh?"**

"You should have said something sooner," said Rose, glaring at him.

"Sorry," he said, not actually sounding sorry at all.

"**Until you broke me. So which path will you choose: good or evil?"**

"**I think I'll give her a grace - "**

"**Miss Hathaway, you know you aren't supposed to be here."**

"Busted," said Christian, with a grin on his face.

Rose just rolled her eyes at him.

**One of the dorm matrons stood over us, disapproval all over her face.**

**I hadn't been joking when I said Mason could bullshit as well as I could. "We have a group project to do for our humanities class. How are we supposed to do it if Rose is in isolation?"**

"Oh god," muttered Janine. "I didn't want to believe it was true."

"It's like their twins," sneered André. Janine and Abe stiffened a bit.

That's strange, I thought.

**The matron narrowed her eyes. "You don't look like you're doing work."**

"Your not making it believable," said Ivan. "Only if you actually had the book at least opened to a page."

"Good advice," said Rose. "I think I might try that next time."

**I slid over the priest's book and opened it at random. I'd placed it on the table when we sat down. "We're, um, working on this."**

"Again with the um," said Ivan, shaking his head. "I wonder how you get away with lying."

"She does," I said. "That is her hidden talent."

**She still looked suspicious. "One hour. I'll give you one more hour down here, and I'd better actually see you working."**

"**Yes ma'am," said Mason straight-faced. "Absolutely."**

**She wandered off, still eyeing us. "My hero," I declared.**

"Really, Rose," said Christian. "I don't think the damsel in distress works for you."

**He pointed at the book. "What is this?"**

"**Something the priest gave me. I had a question about the service."**

**He stared at me astonished.**

"I probably was," Mason admitted.

"**Oh, stop it and look interested." I skimmed the index. "I'm trying to find some woman named Anna."**

**Mason slid his chair over so that he was sitting right beside me. "All right. Let's 'study'."**

**I found a page number, and it took me to the section on St. Vladimir, not surprisingly. We read through the chapter, scanning for Anna's name. When we found it, the author didn't have much to say about her. He did include an excerpt written by some guy who had apparently lived at the same time as St. Vladimir:**

_**And with Vladimir always is Anna, the daughter of Fyodor. Their love is as chaste and pure as that of brother and sister, and many times has she defended him from Strigoi who would seek to destroy him and his holiness. Likewise, it is she who comforts him when spirit becomes too much to bear, and Satan's darkness tries to smother him and weaken his own health and body. This too she defends against, for they have been bound together ever since he saved her life as a child. It is a sign of God's love that He has sent the blessed Vladimir a guardian such as her, one who is shadow-kissed and always knows what is in his heart and mind.**_

"That book has all the answers," said Abe. "I think it is in the best interest if we read that one and more about them from their time."

"Correct," said Eric.

"Tomorrow I will talk to the priest," said Rhea.

"**There you go," Mason said, "She was his guardian."**

"**It doesn't say what 'shadow-kissed' means."**

"**Probably doesn't mean anything," ****Something in me didn't believe that. I read it again, trying to make sense of the old fashioned language.**

"Rose, it is not old," I said, shocked.

"To me it is," she said, then yawned.

**Mason watched me curiously, looking like he very much wanted to help.**

"Of course I do," said Mason.

"**Maybe they were hooking up," he suggested.**

"I think you have the wrong idea," said Ivan. "Even though that is what many male would think."

**I laughed. "He was a ****_saint."_**

"**So? Saints probably like sex too. That 'brother and sister' stuff is probably a cover." He pointed to one of the lines. "See? They were 'bound' together." He winked. "It's code."**

"Interesting words," said Abe. "Although they're not sexual creatures, those priests."

**Bound. It was a weird word choice, but that didn't necessarily mean Anna and Vladimir were ripping each other's clothes off.**

"**I don't think so. They're just close. Guys and girls can just be friends." I said pointedly, and he gave me a dry look.**

"**Yeah? **_**We're **_**friends, and I don't know what's in your 'heart and mind.'" Mason put on a fake philosopher's look. "Of course, some might argue that one can never know what's in the heart of a woman -"**

"**Oh, shut up," I groaned, punching him in the arm.**

"Rose," said Janine in a warning tone.

"**For they are strange and mysterious creatures," he continued in his scholarly voice, " and a man must be a mind reader if he ever wishes to make them happy."**

**I started to giggling uncontrollably and knew I'd probably get in trouble again. "Well, try to read my mind and stop being such a -"**

**I stopped laughing and looked back down at the book.**

_**Bound together **_**and****_ always knows what is in heart and mind._**

**They had a bond, I realized.**

"Like what our future selves have," I said, as i looked towards Rose.

**I would have bet everything I owned – which wasn't much – on it. The revelation was astonishing. There were lots of vague stories and myths about how guardians and Moroi "used to have bonds." But this was the first I'd ever heard of anyone specific that it had happened to. Mason had noticed my startled reaction. "You okay? You look kind of weird."**

**I shrugged it off. "Yeah. Fine."**

"That is the end of the chapter," said Christian. "Your turn Rose."

"No," said Rose, as she crossed her arms. "It's too late. I'm tired, and have a ton of homework to do tomorrow."

"So what are you suggesting we do?" asked Janine.

"Wait until tomorrow to read the next chapter," said Rose. "I thought that it was that simple."


	7. attention all readers

To all my reads for Changing the Future,

I will be giving this story up. I have lost inspiration for writing it, and I have no time as seeing I have some personal drama going on in my life.

If anyone would like to adopt this story just pm me and I will get back to you.

Thank you,

Supernaturalkissed


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Sorry, that this chapter was late. I sort of deleted this chapter and had to start from the beginning. This story WILL NOT BE GOING UP FOR ADOPTION! I want to thank YourVampireGirl98, Melissa, and ashleyr2468 for giving me the inspiration to continue this story. I will try to update as I can but I'm still having a personal problem. **

* * *

**Third person point of view**

**Chapter Seven**

The sun was shining bright the next morning, as Rose opened her brown eyes. She stretched before getting out of bed. Today was a Saturday morning, or well afternoon, as seeing the were no a reversed schedule because of the Moroi.

Rose was hating the fact that all these books were in her point of view. What even had her more stumped was the fact that Mason and André were both after her attention yesterday and the day before that.

Rose slowly started getting dressed for the day, which basically means she just put on a different pair of pajama bottoms and a comfortable shirt. She planned on taking her time.

"Rosie," said Christian, with a smirk on his face. "You late. I think you just wanted to get out of reading the next chapter."

Rose walked over to Christian, punching him on the shoulder. "Don't you ever call me, Rosie, again. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," he muttered.

"Rose!" Exclaimed a voice she knew all too well. Alberta. The captain of St. Vladimir's academy. "Stop hitting, Christian."

"Sorry," said Rose, not really sorry at all. Rose turned towards Alberta, "What are you doing here?"

"I was just invited this morning," Alberta responded.

"Start reading, Rosie," stated Christian.

"Fine," snapped Rose, grabbing the book out of his hand.

**A couple weeks passed after that, and I soon forgot about the Anna thing as life at the Academy wrapped around **

Lissa turned to look at her best friend, "Wow, I think that is the first time you forgot about something important."

"I know," said Rose, looking a bit upset about not remembering something important that involved her best friend.

** The shock of our return had worn off a little, and we began to fall into a semi-comfortable routine. My days revolved around church, lunch with Lissa, and whatever sort of social life I could scrape together outside of that.**

"I'm surprised that I was able to scrap together a social life," said Rose.

"Don't be to hard on yourself, Rose," said André. "You can do anything when you put your mind to it."

Rose smiled at André, "Thank you."

**Denied any real free time, I didn't have too hard a time staying out of the spotlight, although I did manage to steal a little attention here and there,**

"Which in Roses' terms mean more than normal," explained Lissa.

"Your absolutely right," said Mason.

**despite my noble speech to her about "coasting through the middle." I couldn't help it. I liked flirting, I liked groups, and I liked making smartass comments in class.**

"Now that is the Rosie, we all know and love," said André.

"Shut up," said Rose, although she had a smile on her face.

**Her new, incognito role attracted attention simply because it was so different than before we'd left, back when she'd been so active with the royals. Most people soon let that go, accepting that the Dragomir princess was fading off the social radar ****and content to run with Natalie and her group.**

"At least Lissa, will be safe," said Rose, as she stared at Lissa.

"Rose," said Lissa, groaning. "I don't need you to fight all of my battles."

**Natalie's rambling still made me want to beat my head against a wall sometimes,**

"Didn't you ever do that," said Christian.

"No," said Rose. "But I did push someone into a tree. I think you might join her?"

"No," he said, as the fear shined in his eyes. I don't like trees."

**but she was really nice** **nicer than most royals ****and I enjoyed hanging around her most of the time.**

"At least she is nice," commented Rhea.

"But nice is boring," said Eric, with a hint of winning in his voice.

**And, just as Kirova had warned, I was indeed training and working out all the time. But as more time passed, my body stopped hating me. My muscles grew tougher, and my stamina increased. I still got my arse kicked in practice but not quite as badly as I used to, which was something.**

"At least your taking your training seriously," commented Janine, looking at her daughter.

Rose rolled her eyes. She just wished that her mother would stop making comments about her future personal life.

**The biggest toll now seemed to be on my skin. Being outside in the cold so much was chapping my face, and only Lissa's constant supply of skin-care lotions kept me from ageing before my time.****She couldn't do much for the blisters on my hands and feet.**

"Sorry," said Lissa, truly looking upset about her best friend's future blisters.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Lissa, you don't need to apologize. This didn't happen yet, and it might be stopped even before it will happen."

**A routine also developed with Dimitri and me.**

**Mason had been right about him being antisocial. Dimitri didn't hang out much with the other guardians, though it was clear they all respected him. And the more I worked with him, the more I respected him too, though I didn't really understand his training methods.**

Ivan turned to his best friend, "After my death you became antisocial? Why?"

Dimitri shrugged her shoulders, "I don't exactly know why."

"Maybe he feels like your death is his fault," said Rose.

**They didn't seem very badass. We always started by stretching in the gym, and lately he'd been sending me outside to run, braving the increasingly cold Montana autumn.**

**Three weeks after my return to the Academy, I walked into the gym before school one day and find him sprawled on a mat, reading a Louis L'Armour book. Someone had brought in a portable CD player, and while that cheered me up at first, the song coming from it did not: "When Doves Cry" by Prince.**

"Rose, how do you know that song?" questioned Mason.

Rose, who was absolutely looking horrified said, "I really don't know. Nor want to know."

**It was embarrassing to know the title, but one of our former housemates had been obsessed with the '80s.**

"So that it how I knew," said Rose, looking less horrified.

"**Whoa, Dimitri," I said, tossing my bag on the floor. "I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"**

**Only his eyes flicked toward me; the rest of his posture remained the same.**

"Dude," said Ivan. "She's joking around with you and all you do is sit they're looking like a statue. Don't tell me you lost your sense of humor when I died?"

"From the looks of it," said Rose, teasingly. "I would say that he never joked in his entire life."

"I do joke," said Dimitri, pouting. "I just say my jokes for my friends."

"**What does it matter to you? I'm the one who's going to be listening to it. You'll be outside running."**

"Ouch," stated André. "So much for your joke, Rose."

"I know," Rose groaned.

**I made a face as I set my foot up on one of the bars and stretched, my hamstrings. All things considered, Dimitri had a good-natured tolerance for my snarkiness. ****So long as I didn't slack in my training, he didn't mind my running commentary.**

"More like snarkiness," muttered Christian.

"Like you," Rose snapped back.

Christian was about to open his mouth to snap back, but Lissa interrupted. "Oh will the both you two shut up. Your really getting annoying."

"**Hey," I asked, moving on to the next set of stretches, "what's with all the running anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting? They're still killing me in group practice."**

"**Maybe you should hit harder," he replied drily.**

"**I'm serious."**

"Words that you would never really hear," said Mason.

"So true," said Lissa, as she smiled.

"**Hard to tell the difference." He set the book down but didn't move from his sprawl. "My job is to get you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?"**

"**Yup."**

"**So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do?"**

Mason leaned forward, rubbing his hands, "I can't wait to hear Rose's answer."

Rose rolled her eyes at her best guy friend, "Shut up."

"**Depends on what store we're in."**

"Classic Rose answer," said André, as he smiled at Rose.

**He looked at me.**

Dimitri just now gave the same look to Rose.

"**Fine. I'll stab him with a silver stake."**

"How you don't have one?" questioned Janine to her daughter.

Rose once again rolled her eyes.

**Dimitri sat up now, crossing his legs in one fluent motion. I still couldn't figure out how someone so tall could be so graceful.**

Rose turned towards Dimitri, "How can you be that graceful?"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "It's natural for me."

"Tall people are so weird," Rose commented. "More like lucky."

"**Oh?" He raised his dark eyebrows. "Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?"**

"He got you there," said Alberta.

"I know," Rose groaned.

**I dragged my eyes away from his body and scowled.**

Andre rolled his eyes, "About time. It almost seemed like our little Rosie has a crush on the big bad Russian?"

"No I don't," said Rose, although she didn't know how true that is.

**Made with elemental magic, silver stakes were a guardian's deadliest weapon.**

**Stabbing the Strigoi through the heart with one meant instant death. The blades were also lethal to Moroi, so they weren't given out lightly to novices. My classmates had just learned how to use them. I'd trained with a gun before, but no one would let me near a stake yet. Fortunately, there were two other ways to kill a Strigoi.**

"**Okay. I'll cut his head off."**

Janine shook her head, "I don't think you are strong enough for that, Rose?"

"I will be," Rose muttered, in a small voice.

Abe just sighed. He wished Janine would giver their daughter a break.

"**Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?"**

**I straightened up from touching my toes, annoyed. "Fine, then I'll set him on fire."**

"**Again, with what?"**

Rose had a smirk on her face that could rival Christian's. "We can use Christian, since he is all flames."

"**All right, I give up. You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?"**

"You run," said the three adult dhampers and surprisingly Eric and Rhea Dragomir.

**He looked at me and didn't blink. "You run."**

**I repressed the urge to throw something at him. When I finished my stretches, he told me he'd run with me. That was a first. Maybe running would give me some insight into his killer reputation.**

**We set out into the chilly October evening. Being back on a vampiric schedule still felt weird to me. With school about to start in an hour, I expected the sun to be coming up, not down. But it was sinking on the western horizon, lighting up the snow-capped mountains with an orange glow.**

"That sounds pretty," said Lissa. "I wish we could see the sun."

**It didn't really warm things up, and I soon felt the cold pierce my lungs as my need for oxygen deepened. We didn't speak. He slowed his pace to match mine, so we stayed together. ****Something about that bothered me; I suddenly very much wanted his approval.**

André looked at Rose, "Rose are you sure you don't have a crush on Dimitri?"

"No," Rose stated, looking into his jade green eyes.

**So I picked up my own pace, working my lungs and muscles harder. Twelve laps around the track made three miles; we had nine more to go. ****When we reached the third-to-last loop, a couple of other novices passed by, preparing to go to the group practice I'd soon be at as well. Seeing me, Mason cheered. "Good form, Rose!"**

"Dimitri won't like that," said Ivan. "He even gets upset when dhampirs interrupt him during his training sessions."

**I smiled and waved back.**

"Not a good thing either," said Ivan.

"**You're slowing down," Dimitri snapped, jerking my gaze from the boys. The harshness in his voice startled me. "Is this why your times aren't getting any faster? You're easily distracted?"**

Rose glared at Dimitri, "First of all just because I say hi to him doesn't mean I'm easily distracted."

**Embarrassed, I increased my speed once more, despite the fact that my body started screaming obscenities at me. We finished the twelve laps, and when he checked, he found we'd shaved two minutes off my best time.**

"Plus I beat my time," stated Rose. "So I think you should think before you speak before making assumptions."

"**Not bad, huh?" I crowed when we headed back inside for cool-down stretches. "Looks like I could get as far as the Limited before the Strigoi got me at the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do."**

"Hey," stated Lissa.

"Sorry," said Rose.

"**If she was with you, she'd be okay."**

"I think that was a compliment," said Ivan. "He usually doesn't do that to people he doesn't know."

**I looked up in surprise. It was the first real compliment he'd paid me since I started training with him. His brown eyes watched me, both approving and amused.**

**And that's when it happened.**

"What happened?" everyone questioned.

**I felt like someone had shot me. Sharp and biting, terror exploded in my body and in my head. Small razors of pain. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I wasn't standing there. ****I was running down a flight of stairs, scared and desperate, needing to get out of there, needing to find…me.**

"I think I'm in Lissa's head," said Rose.

**My vision cleared, leaving me back on the track and out of Lissa's head. Without a word to Dimitri, I tore off, running as fast as I could toward the Moroi dorm.**

"Good thinking, Rose," said Alberta.

**It didn't matter that I'd put my legs through a mini-marathon. They ran hard and fast, like they were shiny and new. Distantly, I was aware of Dimitri catching me up, asking me what was wrong. But I couldn't answer him. I had one task and one alone: get to the dorm.**

"It must have been very important that she didn't talk while running," said Lissa. "She usually gets easily distracted."

"Lissa," Rose said, groaning. "Why did you tell them my secret?"

"Payback," said Lissa, grinning.

**It's looming, ivy-covered form was just coming into view when Lissa met up with us, her face streaked with tears. I came to a jarring stop, my lungs ready to burst.**

"**What's wrong? What happened?" I demanded, clutching her arms, forcing her to look into my eyes.**

"You could have been a bit more careful," snapped Christian.

"I think you are the one with the crush," said Rose.

Christian's cheek's turned a bit pink, and didn't say anything.

**But she couldn't answer. She just flung her arms around me, sobbing into my chest. **

**I held her there, stroking her sleek, silky hair while I told her it was going to be alright – whatever "it" was. And honestly, I didn't care what it was just then. She was here, and she was safe, which was all that mattered.**

"Why don't you express that caring side more often?" asked Janine.

"I don't want to show any weakness," said Rose.

**Dimitri hovered over us, ****alert and ready for any threat, his body coiled to attack. I felt safe with him beside us.**

Lissa raised an eyebrow at Rose. She knew how Rose is feels about not being weak.

**A half hour later, we were crammed inside Lissa's dorm room with three other guardians, Ms. Kirova, and the hall matron. This was the first ****time I'd seed Lissa's room. Natalie had indeed managed to get her as a roommate, ****and the two sides of the room were a study in contrasts. Natalie's looked lived in, with pictures on the wall and a frilly bedspread that wasn't dorm-issue. Lissa had as few possessions as I did, making her half noticeably bare. She did have one picture taped to the wall, a picture taken from last Halloween, when we'd dressed up like fairies, complete with wings and glittery makeup.****Seeing that picture and remembering how things used to be made a dull pain form in my chest.**

Lissa looked towards Rose, "Rose, I promise that we would do all that and more."

**With all the excitement,** **no one seemed to remember that I wasn't supposed to be there.**

Janine glared at the book. Why didn't they noticed that you were their, she though to herself. She didn't bother talking out loud as seeing Rose would just glare at her.

**Outside in the hall, other Moroi girls crowded together, trying to figure out what was going on. Natalie pushed her way through them, wondering what the commotion was in her room. ****When she discovered it, she came to a screeching halt.**

"I think we all want to know what's going on," said André. He was getting frustrated that something will happen to his sister.

**Shock and disgust showed on almost everyone's faces as we stared as Lissa's bed. There was a fox on the pillow. It's coat was reddish-orange, tinged in white. It looked so soft and cuddly that it could have been a pet, perhaps a cat, something you'd hold in your arms and snuggle with. ****Aside from the fact that it's throat had been slit.**

All the women looked like they were going to cry, while the men all were trying to stay strong.

"Why would someone do that to a poor fox?" questioned Rhea.

"Someone with a sick mind," Eric responded.

**The inside of the throat looked pink and jellylike. Blood stained that soft coat and had run down onto the yellow bedspread, forming a dark pool that spread across the fabric. ****The fox's eyes stared upwards, glazed over with a sort of shocked look about them, like the fox couldn't believe this was happening.**

"Rose, did you really need to describe what the fox looked like?" asked Lissa, who looked a little green.

"This didn't happen yet," said Rose. "So how do I know what I was going to think."

**Nausea built up in my stomach, but I forced myself to keep looking. I couldn't afford to be squeamish. I'd be killing Strigoi someday. ****If I couldn't handle a fox, I'd never survive major kills.**

"Rose," said Janine, in a soft tone. One that Rose never heard of. "A fox is innocent. You shouldn't have to compare that to the fox."

"I know," said Rose in shock.

**What had happened to the fox was sick and twisted, obviously done by some one to fucked up for words. Lissa stared at it, her face death-pale, and took a few steps toward it, hand involuntarily reaching out.**

**This gross act hit her hard, I knew, digging at her love for animals. She loved them, they loved her. While on our own, she'd often begged me for a pet, but I'd always refuse and reminded her we couldn't take care of one when we might have to flee at a moment's notice. Plus, they hated me.**

"Who doesn't hate you, Rosie?" questioned Christian.

With a smug look on Roses' face, she said, "Lissa, Mason, and maybe André."

**So she'd contented herself with helping and patching up strays she found and making friends with other people's pets, like Oscar the cat.**

**She couldn't patch this fox up, though, there was no coming back for it, but I saw in her face she wanted to help it, like she helped everything. I took her hand and steered her away, suddenly recalling a conversation from two years ago.**

"Do you think it is before or after the accident?" Rose questioned.

"I think it might be after," said Lissa.

"_**What is that? Is it a crow?"**_

"_**Too big. It's a raven."**_

"_**Is it dead?"**_

"_**Yeah. Definitely dead. Don't touch it."**_

"Well that really doesn't give too much information," said Abe.

"I'm sure the flashback will be somewhere in this book," Rose responded.

**She hadn't listened to me back then. I hoped she would now.**

"**It was still alive when I got back," Lissa whispered to me, clutching my arm. "Barely. Oh God, it was twitching. It must have suffered so much."**

"Always so compassionate," said Rose, fondly.

**I felt bile rise in my throat now. Under no circumstances would I throw up.**

"**Did you - ?"**

"**No. I wanted to…. I started to…."**

"Started to do what?" questioned André.

Rose blinked, "We don't know. Maybe she will magically heal something one day."

"**Then forget about it," I said sharply. "It's stupid. Somebody's stupid joke. They'll clean it up. Probably even give you a new room if you want."**

"I think you should have taken the new room," said Mason. "Even if it is to get away from the memories of the fox."

**She turned to me, eyes almost wild. "Rose . . . do you remember … that one time…."**

"**Stop it," I said. "Forget about it. This isn't the same thing."**

"**What if someone saw? What if someone knows? …"**

"I think you are being a bit paranoid," said Ivan.

"You can never have too much paranoia," stated Rose, with a straight face. Or at least try to say it with a straight face as seeing the next minute she broke out laughing.

**I tightened my grip on her arm, digging my nails in to get attention. She flinched.**

"Try less violence next time," said Christian.

"**No. It's not the same. It has nothing to do with that. Do you hear me?" I could feel both Natalie and Dimitri's eyes on us. "It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."**

**Not looking like she believed me at all, Lissa nodded.**

"**Get this cleaned up," Kirova snapped to the matron. "And find out if anyone saw anything."**

"Now she finally says something," Janine muttered, angrily.

**Someone finally realized I was there and ordered Dimitri to take me away, no matter how much I begged them to let me stay with Lissa.**

"I would have," said Dimitri. "But orders are orders."

**He walked me back to the novices' dorm. He didn't speak until we were almost there. "You know something. Something about what happened. Is this what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?"**

"**I don't know anything. It's just some sick joke."**

"Rose," said Eric. "I think he can tell that there is something going on."

"It's noticeable," said Ivan.

"**Do you have any idea who'd do it? Or why?"**

**I considered this. Before we'd left, it could have been any number of people. That was the way it was when you were popular. People loved you. People hated you. But now? Lissa had faded off to a certain extent. The only person who really and truly despised her was Mia, ****but Mia seemed to fight her battles with words, not actions. And even if she did decide to do something more aggressive, why do this? She didn't seem like the type. There were a million other ways to get back at a person.**

"Mia wouldn't do that," said Christian, with a roll of his blue eyes. "I know her to well to know that she couldn't harm an animal."

"**No," I told him. "No clue."**

"**Rose, if you know something, tell me. We're on the same side. We both want to protect her. This is serious."**

**I spun around, taking my anger over the fox out on him.**

"Rose," said Lissa. "You should never take your anger out on a person. Try a punching bag next time."

"**Yeah, it **_**is **_**serious. And you have me doing laps every day when I should be learning to fight and defend her! If you want to help her, then teach me something! **_**Teach me how to fight. **_**I already know how to run away."**

"She does have a point," stated Abe. "She does know how to run."

**I didn't realize until that moment how badly did I want to learn, how I wanted to prove myself to him,****to Lissa,** **and to everyone else. The fox incident had made me feel powerless, and I didn't like that. I wanted to do something, **_**anything.**_

"Rose," said Lissa, "you don't need to prove yourself to me ever."

"Thanks Lissa."

**Dimitri watched my outburst calmly, with no change in his expression. When I finished, he simply beckoned me forward like I hadn't said anything. "Come on. You're late for practice."**

Rose sighed, "Will this is the end of the chapter? Who would like to read next?"

"I will," said Alberta.

"Okay," said Rose, handing her the book. She did a double take, "Did someone get you caught up before I started reading?"

"Yes, Rose," said Alberta, looking amused.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Third person point of view**

"Okay," said Alberta, flipping to the next page. "Chapter eight."

**Burning with anger,**

"I don't think that their s a time where you're not angry, Rose," commented André.

"I'm not angry all the time," said Rose, trying to defend herself.

"Your just digging your grave deeper, Rosie," said Christian, with his smirk on his face.

"What the fuck did I just say before the last chapter!" Rose demanded. "Don't call me Rosie! Or you will regret it."

"Rose," said Alberta. "Don't threaten your fellow classmates!" She scowled the young female.

"Sorry," said Rose, looking ashamed.

Janine internally scowled. When she tried to parent her daughter, it doesn't go planned, but when Alberta stepped in she looked truly sorry. In simple terms Janine was jealous of Alberta.

**I fought harder and better that day than I ever had in any of my classes with the novices. So much so that I finally won my first hand-to-hand pairing, annihilating Shane Reyes.**

"I bet he was beyond pissed," said Ivan.

Rose rolled his eyes, "Shane is never pissed when I kick his ass."

**We'd always gotten along, and he took it good-naturedly, applauding my performance, as did a few others.**

"**The comeback's starting," observed Mason after class.**

"That's good," praised Rhea.

"**So it would seem."**

**He gently touched my arm. "How's Lissa?"**

"So caring," cooed Rhea, making Mason fidget in his seat uncomfortably.

**It didn't surprise me that he knew. Gossip spread so fast around here sometimes it felt like everyone had a psychic bond.**

"That wouldn't be good," said Dimitri.

André moved closer to Rose, "He's right you know. Then everyone would have the answers to tests and homework."

"Then that would be a great idea," whispered Rose, with a smile on her face.

"**Okay. Coping." I didn't elaborate on how I knew that. Our bond was a secret from the student body. "Mase, you claim to know Mia.** **You think she might have done that?"**

"**Whoa, hey, I'm not an expert on her or anything. But honestly? No. Mia won't even do dissections in biology. I can't picture her actually catching a fox, let alone, um, killing it."**

Alberta sighed, "Mia wouldn't have done something like that. In fact Mia's mother sponsors some animal right programs when she was Mia's age."

"**Any friends who might do it for her?"**

**He shook his head. "Not really. They're not really the types to get their hands dirty either. But who knows?"**

"If she would have done it, then she could have someone paid to do it. There are a lot of people who would just for the money," said Abe.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Or just plain revenge."

**Lissa was still shaken when I met her for lunch later, her mood made worse when Natalie and her crew wouldn't shut up about the fox. Apparently Natalie had overcome her disgust enough to enjoy the attention the spectacle had brought her. Maybe she wasn't as content with her fringe status as I'd always believed.**

"**And it was just **_**there," **_**she explained, waving her hands for emphasis. "Right in the middle of the bed. There was blood **_**everywhere."**_

"Doesn't she have any common sense?" questioned Rhea, as her face held a disgusted look.

"Apparently not," said Lissa, with the same disgusted look on her face.

**Lissa looked as green as the sweater she wore, and I pulled her away before I even finished my food ****and immediately launched into a string of obscenities about Natalie's social skills.**

André shook his head, "I thought you would have punched her."

"But I couldn't," Rose stated. "If I did then I would have to leave Lissa, who is more important than punching someone."

"So grown up, Rosie," said Christian, sarcastically.

"**She's nice," Lissa said automatically.**

Rose shook her head, "Do you always need to defend someone?"

"Yes," said Lissa. "Unless I can't stand the person."

"**You were just telling me the other day how much you liked her."**

"**I do like her, but she's incompetent about certain things."**

**We stood outside our animal behaviour class, and I noticed people giving us curious looks and whispering as they passed. I sighed.**

"That will unfortunately will happen," said André, as he wrapped his arm around Rose.

Rose looked at André, "Will you remove your arm from my shoulder!" She demanded.

"No," said André, with a lopsided grin. "I think I will just keep it there."

"**How are you doing with all this?"**

Lissa shook her head, "Always think about me."

"Of course I do," said Rose.

**A half-smile crossed her face. "Can't you already feel it?"**

"**Yeah, but I want to hear it from you."**

"Rose, just wants to make sure you are one hundred percent alright," said Eric. "That is what best friend do."

"**I don't know. I'll be okay. I wish everyone wouldn't keep staring at me like some kind of freak."**

Rose rolled her eyes, "Lissa, you are not a freak. They are just jealous of you."

**My anger exploded again. The fox was bad. People upsetting her just made it worse, but at lease I could do something about them. "Who's bothering you?"**

"**Rose, you can't beat up everyone we have a problem with."**

"**Mia?" I guessed.**

"It does seem like she is always the first choice," said Ivan.

"**And others," she said evasively. "Look, it doesn't matter. What I want to know is how this could have … that is, I can't stop thinking about that time -"**

"**Don't," I warned.**

"**Why do you keep pretending that didn't happen? ****You of all people. You made fun of Natalie for going on and on, but it's not like you've got a good grip on your control switch. You'll normally talk about anything."**

"Maybe there is something that Rose knows and thinks it's not an important to spill," said Mason.

"**But not **_**that. **_**We need to forget about it. It was a long time ago. We don't even really know what happened."**

**She stared at me with those big green eyes, calculating her next argument.**

"**Hey, Rose."**

"You two need to look around when you're talking about stuff," said Abe. "Anyone would think your nuts if you say something that they don't understand."

"Then they should mind the own business, Old Man," said Rose, looking board.

**Our conversation dropped as Jesse strolled up to us. I turned on my best smile.**

"Your man-eater smile," said Mason.

"You actually have a smile that people call man-eater smile?" asked Ivan.

"Yes," said Rose, rolling her eyes. "It makes all the boys weak in the knees."

Janine and Abe looked at each other. They didn't want to hear their only daughter talking about boys.

"**Hey."**

**He nodded cordially to Lissa. "So hey, I'm going to be in your dorm tonight for a study group. You think … maybe …"**

**Momentarily forgetting Lissa, ****I focused my full attention on Jesse. Suddenly, I _so _needed to do something wild and bad. ****Too much had happened today. "Sure."**

**He told me when he'd be there, and I told him I'd meet him in one of the common areas with "further instructions."**

**Lissa stared at me when he left. "You're under house arrest. ****They won't let you hang out and talk to him."**

"Bad, Rosie, bad," said Christian, wiggling his finger at Rose.

Rose glared at him, "Do not talk to me like a dog! Don't call me Rosie, Chrissy."

"**I don't really want to 'talk' to him. We'll slip away."**

**She groaned. "I just don't know about you sometimes."**

"Sometimes I think we don't either," said Mason. "Rose is one of a kind."

"Thank you, Mason," said Rose, with a serious expression on her face. "I like being different."

"**That's because you're the cautious one, and I'm the reckless one."**

**Once animal behaviour started, I pondered the likelihood of Mia being responsible.**

**From the smug look on her psycho-angel face,** **she certainly seemed to be enjoying the sensation caused by the bloody fox. But that didn't mean she was the culprit, and after observing her over the last couple of weeks,****I knew she'd enjoy anything that upset Lissa and me. She didn't need to be the one who had done it.**

"I have a feeling that I'm going to end up punching her by the end of this book," said Rose.

"Fine," said André, with a smile on his face. "Twenty bucks on Rose if she punches Mia."

Mason smirked, "Twenty bucks says she won't punch Mia."

Christian shook his head, pulling out a twenty from his wallet and putting it with Mason's twenty. "I believe that Rose won't punch Mia, since she cares more about staying with Rose."

"**Wolves, like many other species, differentiate their packs into alpha males and alpha females whom the others defer to. ****Alphas are almost always the strongest physically, though many times, confrontations turn out to be more a matter of willpower and personality. When an alpha is challenged and replaced, that wolf may find himself ostracized from the group or even attacked."**

**I looked up from my daydreams and focused on Ms. Meissner.**

"Rose, you're not going to learn anything if you not paying attention in class," said Lissa.

"I could say the same thing about you," Rose responded back.

"True," said Lissa.

"**Most challenges are likely to occur during mating season," she continued. This, naturally, brought snickers from the class. "In most packs, the alpha pair are the **_**only **_**ones who mate. If the alpha male is an older, seasoned wolf, a younger competitor may think he has a shot. Whether that is true works on a case-by-case basis. The young often don't realize how seriously outclassed they are by the more experienced."**

**The old-and-young-wolf thing notwithstanding, I thought the rest was pretty relevant. Certainly in the Academy's social structure, I decided bitterly, there seemed to be a lot of alphas and challenges.**

**Mia raised her hand.**

"I think she should keep her hand down," said Rhea.

"**What about foxes? Do **_**they **_**have alphas too?"**

"She is nothing but trouble," said Eric.

**There was a collective intake of breath from the class, followed by a few nervous giggles. No one could believe Mia had gone there.**

**Ms. Meissner flushed with what I suspected was anger. "We're discussing wolves today, Miss Rinaldi." **

**Mia didn't seem to mind the subtle chastising, and when the class paired off to work on an assignment, she spent more time looking over at us and giggling. Through the bond, I could feel Lissa growing more and more upset as images of the fox kept flashing through her mind.**

"**Don't worry," I told her. "I've got a way -"**

"Not good," said André, with a shake of his head.

"**Hey, Lissa," someone interrupted.**

**We both looked up as Ralf Sarcozy stopped by our desks. He wore his trademark stupid grin, and I had a feeling he'd come over here on a dare from his friends.**

Rose groaned, "He is an idiot."

"I know," said Lissa, with a shake of her head.

"**So, admit it," he said. "You killed the fox. You're trying to convince Kirova you're crazy so that you can get out of here again."**

"I think this boy needs a talking too," said Abe.

"**Screw you," I told him in a low voice.**

"**Are you offering?"**

"This guy has a death wish," Mason added.

"**From what I've heard, there isn't much to screw," I shot back.**

"Good one, Rose," said André. All of the guys nodded in agreement.

"**Wow," he said mockingly. "You **_**have **_**changed. Last I remembered, you weren't too picky about who you got naked with."**

"**And the last **_**I **_**remember, the only people you ever saw naked were on the Internet."**

"So true," said Christian. "He's an ass."

"Christian, language," said Alberta.

**He cocked his head in an overly dramatic fashion. "Hey, I just got it: it was you, wasn't it?" He looked at Lissa, then back at me. "She got _you _to kill the fox, didn't she? Some weird kind of lesbian voo – ahhh!"**

"What happened?" questioned Rhea.

**Ralf burst into flames.**

"It's about time," said Rose, with a serious face.

**I jumped up and pushed Lissa out of the way – not easy to do, since we were sitting at our desks. We both ended up on the floor as screams – Ralf's in particular – filled the classroom and Ms. Meissner sprinted for the fire extinguisher. ****And then, just like that, the flames disappeared.**

"A Moroi must have used their magic," said Abe.

**Ralf was still screaming and patting himself down, but he didn't have a single mark on him. The only indication of what had happened was the lingering smell of smoke in the air. ****For several seconds, the entire classroom froze. Then, slowly, everyone put the pieces together. Moroi magical specializations were well known, ****and after scanning the room, I deduced three fire users: Ralf, his friend Jacob, and –**

**Christian Ozera.**

Everybody turned their head to look at Christian. He had a smirk on his face, looking quite pound of himself.

**Since neither Jacob nor Ralf would have set Ralf on fire, it sort of made the culprit obvious. The fact that Christian was laughing hysterically sort of gave it away too.**

"Maybe you shouldn't have laughed," said Rose. "It wouldn't have given you away."

"Maybe I wanted to give myself away," Christian shot back.

**Ms. Meissner changed from red to deep purple. "Mr. Ozera!" she screamed. "How dare you – do you have any idea – report to Headmistress Kirova's office now!"**

**Christian, completely unfazed, stood up and slung his backpack over one shoulder. That smirk stayed on his face. "Sure thing, Ms. Meissner."**

**He went out of his way to walk past Ralf, who quickly backed away as he passed. The rest of the class stared, open-mouthed. ****After that, Ms. Meissner attempted to return the class to normal,****but it was a lost cause. No one could stop talking about what had happened.**

"That's not going to work," stated Rhea. "Everyone is too wound up."

**It was shocking on a few different levels. First, no one had ever seen that kind of spell: a massive fire that didn't actually burn anything. Second, Christian had used it offensively. He had attacked another person.**

Christian rolled his eyes, "I didn't actually set the person on fire, Rose. The flames never actually touched him."

**Moroi never did that. They believed magic was meant to take care of the earth, to help people live better lives. It was never, ever used as a weapon. Magic instructors never taught those kinds of spells; I don't think they even knew any. Finally, craziest of all, _Christian _had done it. Christian, whom no one ever noticed or gave a damn about.**

"Well thank you, Rose, for stating the obvious," sneered Christian.

"Sorry," said Rose, feeling bad for him.

**Well, they'd noticed him now.**

**It appeared someone still knew offensive spells after all, and as much as I had enjoyed the look of terror on Ralf's face, it suddenly occurred to me that Christian might really and truly be a psycho.**

"Not anymore then you," mumbled Christian.

"**Liss," I said as we walked out of class, "please tell me you haven't hung out with him again."**

**The guilt that flickered through the bond told me more than any explanation could.**

"Busted," sang André.

"**Liss!" I grabbed her arm.**

"**Not that much," she said uneasily. "He's really okay - "**

"Not the answer that Rose was looking for," stated Ivan.

"**Okay? **_**Okay?"**_** People in the hall stared at us. I realized I was practically shouting. "He's out of his mind. **_**He set Ralf on fire. **_**I thought we decided you weren't going to see him anymore."**

"**You decided, Rose. Not me." There was an edge in her voice I hadn't heard in a while.**

"I think Lissa's getting her spunk back," said Rose, with a smile on her face.

"**What's going on here? Are you guys … you know? …" **

"**No!" she insisted. "I told you that already. God." She shot me a look of disgust. "Not everyone thinks – and acts – like you."**

"Ouch," said André. Then he turned towards his sister, "That was rude of you."

"Sorry, Rose," said Lissa.

Rose, once again, rolled her brown eyes. "This didn't happen so you don't need to apologize."

**I flinched at the words. Then we noticed that Mia was passing by. She hadn't heard the conversation but had caught the tone. A snide smile spread over her face. "Trouble in paradise?"**

"**Go find your pacifier, and shut the hell up," I told her, not waiting for a response.**

" That is how you can tell that our Rose is very angry," stated Lissa.

**Her mouth dropped open, then tightened into a scowl.**

**Lissa and I walked on in silence, and then Lissa burst out laughing. Like that, our fight diffused.**

"**Rose …" Her tone was softer now.**

"**Lissa, he's dangerous. I don't like him. Please be careful."**

**She touched my arm. "I am. I'm the cautious one, remember? You're the reckless one."**

"Too true," stated Mason, as he remembered all the stunts him and Rose got into.

**I hoped that was still true.**

"It sounds like you are having doubts," said Lissa.

"Never," said Rose.

**But later, after school, I had my doubts. I was in my room doing homework**

"Rose doing homework," said Christian. "The world is going to end."

**when I felt a trickle of what could only be called sneakiness coming from Lissa.**

"I guess I need to work on being sneaky," stated Lissa.

**Losing track of my work, ****I stared off into space, trying to get a more detailed understanding of what was happening to her. ****If ever there was a time for me to slip into her mind, it was now, but I didn't know how to control that.**

Lissa glared at Rose, while Rose had a guilty expression on her face.

**Frowning I tried to think what normally made that connection occur. Usually she was experiencing some strong emotion, an emotion so powerful it tried to blast into my mind. I had to work hard to fight against that; I always sort of kept a mental wall up.**

**Focusing on her now, I tried to remove the wall. I steadied my breathing and cleared my mind. My thoughts didn't matter, only hers did. I needed to open myself to her and let us connect. ****I'd never done anything like this before; I didn't have the patience for meditation.**

"Really meditation," stated Lissa. "I guess you are that desperate to see what I'm doing."

"I guess so," said Rose, with a sigh.

**My need was so strong, however, that I forced myself into an intense, focused relaxation. I needed to know what was going on with her, and after a few more moments, my effort paid off.**

**I was in.**

"That is the end of the chapter," said Alberta.

"Good," said Rose. "I think it is time for lunch."

The door to the room opened up. Rose looked towards the door, one look at the guest, "Oh hell no. What the hell is she doing here?"


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Third person point of view**

"What the hell are you doing here, Mia!" Rose demanded.

Mia rolled her eyes at the Rose, who is a year older than her. She heard of the rumors about Roses' temper. "Some guardians asked me to come here. So now I'm going to spend my weekend with you people."

"You people," hissed Rose. André grabbed Rose around the waist, so she wouldn't get up to fight the girl. "Look who is talking, Mia."

Mia opened her mouth, but Alberta interrupted, "Girls settle down now. Mia, please sit down. Dimitri would you please start reading before these two girls get into a fist fight."

**I snapped into her mind, once again seeing and directly experiencing what went on around her.**

Rose was still fuming mad that Mia was in the room. She was starting to despise the younger girl. Why would she even needed in this room while reading this book about me and Lissa's life?

**She was sneaking into the chapel's attic again, confirming my worst fears. Like last time, she met no resistance. ****_Good God, _****I thought, ****_could that priest be any worse about securing his own chapel?_**

"The church attic," stated Alberta, giving Lissa a stern look. "I think that I need to talk to the priest."

"I guess your secret place is not so secret anymore," said Rose.

"I know," wined Lissa.

**Sunrise lit up the stained-glass window, and Christian's silhouette was framed against it: he was sitting in the window seat.**

"Christian," said Rose, with a serious face. "I think that's Lissa's seat."

"**You're late," he told her. "Been waiting a while."**

"You had a set times to meet?" asked André, shaking his head.

**Lissa pulled up one of the rickety chairs, brushing dust off it. "Figured you'd be tied up with Headmistress Kirova."**

**He shook his head. "Not much to it. They suspended me for a week, that's all.** **Not like it's hard to sneak out." He waved his hands around. "As you can see."**

"You got that right," said Rose.

André smiled down at Rose, "You should know, Rose, since you have sneaked out a lot."

"I know," Rose said.

Mia huffed, "I think you should get in trouble, Rose, for breaking the rules."

Rose smiled a devious smile, "You can't get me into trouble since theses books are in the future not the present, little girl."

Mia huffed, "stop calling me a little girl."

"**I'm surprised you didn't get more time."**

Rose huffed, "I got more time then he did from getting into fights. No fair." Rose crossed her arms and pouted.

"That's because she like's me more, Rosie," said Christian.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right, I will believe that when I see it."

**A patch of sunlight lit up his crystal-blue eyes. "Disappointed?"**

"I can tell that she is in shock," said Rose. "I'm the one that's disappointed."

"Aren't you always," stated Mia, with an innocent smile on her face.

**She looked shocked. "You set someone on fire!"**

"**No, I didn't. Did you see any burns on him?"**

"No, he didn't," said Rose. "Maybe you really should set him on fire for being an ass."

"Rose, language," scolded Alberta.

"**He was covered in flames."**

"**I had them under control. I kept them off of him."**

**She sighed. "You shouldn't have done that."**

**Straightening out of his lounging position, he sat up and leaned toward her. "I did it for you."**

"**You attacked someone for me?"**

"Awe, how sweet," cooed André. "Lightening someone on fire to get into my baby sisters heart."

"I think he needs some tips from you, André," said Mason, trying to hold his anger back from his words.

"**Sure. He was giving you and Rose a hard time. She was doing an okay job against him, I guess, but I figured she could use the backup. Besides, this'll shut anyone else up about the whole fox thing too."**

Rose rolled her eyes, "I don't need any back up."

"I hate to say it, Rose," said Mason. "But you did need the back up."

"Shut up," said Rose, annoyed.

"**You shouldn't have done that," she repeated, looking away. She didn't know how to feel about this "generosity." "And don't act like it was all for me. You **_**liked**_** doing it. Part of you wanted to – just because."**

**Christian's smug expression dropped, replaced by one of uncharacteristic surprise. Lissa might not be psychic, but she had a startling ability to read people. Seeing him off guard, she continued. "Attacking someone else with magic is forbidden – and that's ****_exactly _****why you wanted to do it. You got a thrill out of it."**

"She has figured you out, Christian," said Ivan, shaking his head.

"**Those rules are stupid. If we used magic as a weapon instead of just for warm and fuzzy shit, Strigoi wouldn't keep killing so many of us."**

Roses' brown eyes widened, "My respect for you, Christian, just increased."

Christian raised his right eyebrow, "Explain!"

Rose took a deep breath, "Even thou us guardian have a saying, 'They come first'. With a fire power, and any other Moroi elemental magic can help the guardians fight against Strigoi."

Mia rolled her blue eyes, "You just don't want to fight."

Rose glared at her, "I love fighting. That is not the issue. It's that Strigoi are getting stronger, and when they do, what is going to happen to the guardians? Their's not going to have enough for all the royals to have one or more. But if there is a Moroi with a guardian when they get attacked, and something happens where the guardian is becoming overpowered for a minute then the Moroi can use their magic to distract the Strigoi so that the dhampir can finish the job."

"Magic is peaceful," stated Mia.

"So," drawled out Rose. "Not every magic is peaceful. Sometimes it can also be helpful and life saving."

Mia , once again, had to argue with Rose, "Yeah right."

"Fine," said Rose. "Say you and two of your friends were now stranded in the middle of nowhere, and it started pouring rain. So you and your two friends, who happen are also two other Moroi, and each of you have different element. The earth user can make you guys shelter until the rains stops. The fire user could start a fire so use won't get cold. The water user could make sure that all three of use stay dry. Now do you get my point."

"There is something called a cell phone," said Mia, sarcastically.

"I know what a cell phone is," said Rose. "In fact I'm even surprise that you know about a device called the cell phone."

"Girls," said Alberta. "Enough! You both have good points but this is not the time nor place to have this argument."

"**It's wrong," she said firmly. "Magic is a gift. It's peaceful."**

"Even Lissa agrees with me," said Mia.

"Not one hundred percent," said Lissa.

"**Only because they say it is. You're repeating the party line we've been fed our whole lives." He stood up and paced the small space of the attic. "It wasn't always that way, you know. We used to fight, right along with the guardians – centuries ago. Then people started getting scared and stopped. Figured it was safer to just hide. They forgot the attack spells."**

"**Then how did you know that one?"**

**He crooked a smile. "Not everyone forgot."**

"**Like your family? Like your parents?"**

André shook his head at his younger sister, "You shouldn't have gone their."

**The smile disappeared. "You don't know anything about my parents."**

**His face darkened, his eyes grew hard. To most people, he might have appeared scary and intimidating, but as Lissa studied and admired his features, he suddenly seemed very, very vulnerable.**

Rose raised both of her eyebrows at this, "Checking him out already, Lissa."

"I guess," Lissa responded, her cheeks a light pink.

"**You're right," she admitted softly, after a moment. "I don't. I'm sorry."**

**For the second time in this meeting, Christian looked astonished.**

"I probably was," admitted Christian.

**Probably no one apologized to him that often. Hell, no one even talked to him that often. Certainly no one ever listened. Like usual, he quickly turned into his cocky self.**

"Always trying to hide your real self," said Mia, with a sigh. "I know how that is."

"**Forget it." Abruptly, he stopped pacing and knelt in front of her so they could look each other in the eye. Feeling him so close made her hold her breath.**

Lissa blushed at the description.

**A dangerous smile curled his lips. "And really, I don't get why ****_you _****of all people should act so outraged that I used 'forbidden' magic."**

"**Me 'of all people'? What's that supposed to mean?"**

"**You can play all innocent if you want – and you do a pretty good job – but I know the truth."**

"Busted," sang out Rose.

"**What truth is that?" She couldn't hide her uneasiness from me or Christian.**

"I don't even need a bond to know when you are," said Rose.

**He leaned even closer. "That you use compulsion. All the time."**

"**No, I don't," she said immediately.**

"You really suck at lying little sister," said André. "I think you should take some lessons from Rose."

"Hey," said Rose, offended. "I don't Lie that much."

Mason, Lissa, and André all raised an eyebrow at her. Rose huffed, "Fine. Maybe I do lie a bit too much."

"**Of course you do. I've been lying awake at night, trying to figure out how in the world you two were able to rent out a place and go to high school without anyone ever wanting to meet your parents. Then I figured it out. You had to be using compulsion. That's probably how you broke out of here in the first place."**

"Interesting," said Abe, looking towards Lissa.

"Watch it, old man," said Rose, as she glared at her father.

"Old Man?" Abe questioned. "I'm not that old, little girl."

"Whatever," said Rose, with a roll of her eyes.

Mia looked at them both. She was wondering why Zmey was being nice toa teenage dhampir. She heard a lot about him from her parents. Mia thought that there is something fishy going on.

"**I see. You just figured it out. Without any proof."**

"**I've got all the proof I need, just from watching you."**

Rose glared at Christian, "You know, that is very stalkers of you. Maybe I should call you Edward Cullen." (Sorry if anyone takes offence to this.)

"Edward Cullen?" questioned Christian. "Sorry to burst your bubble Rose, but I'm not a sparkle vampire."

"**You've been watching me – spying on me – to prove I'm using compulsion?"**

**He shrugged. "No. Actually, I've been watching you just because I like it.**

Rose snorted, "Like that is not creepy whatsoever."

**The compulsion thing was a bonus. I saw you use it the other day to get an extension on that math assignment.**

"Vasilisa Dragomir!" Exclaimed Rhea. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Lissa shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."

**And you used it on Ms. Carmack when she wanted to make you go through more testing."**

"**So you assume it's compulsion? Maybe I'm just really good at convincing people."**

"Future Lissa does have a point," said Rose.

**There was a defiant note in her voice: understandable, considering her fear and anger. Only she delivered it with a toss of her hair which – if I didn't know any better – might have been considered flirtatious. And I did know better … right? Suddenly, I wasn't sure.**

Mia smirked, "I see that our dear Rosie, has lost her touch at flirting."

Rose glared at the young blond female, "I'm better at it then some people. Mainly you."

**He went on, but something in his eyes told me he'd noticed the hair, that he always noticed everything about her.**

"**People get these goofy looks on their faces when you talk to them. And not just any people – you're able to do it to Moroi. Probably dhampirs too. Now **_**that's **_**crazy. I didn't even know that was possible. You're some kind of superstar. Some kind of evil, compulsion-abusing superstar." It was an accusation, but his tone and presence radiated the same flirtatiousness she had.**

Rose shook her head with a frown on her face.

"What's wrong, Rose?" asked Lissa, who saw Roses' expression.

"I'm wrong," said Rose.

"What do you mean your wrong," said Lissa.

"Christian is perfect for you," said Rose, pausing for dramatic effect. "The both of you couldn't flirt if your life depended on it."

"Rose," Lissa all but groaned.

**Lissa didn't know what to say. He was right. Everything he'd said was right. Her compulsion was what had allowed us to dodge authority and get along in the world without adult help. It was what had allowed us to convince the bank to let her tap into her inheritance.**

"Girls," said Alberta. "Even though compulsion is wrong, you two did a good thing doing that while on the run."

"How can you say that!" seethed Janine. "They should have just stayed at the academy."

"Janine," said Alberta, with a deep breath. "I trust Roses' judgment. She would have a good reason for leaving. She wouldn't go without a good reason."

**And it was considered every bit as wrong as using magic as a weapon. Why not? It ****_was _****a weapon. A powerful one, one that could be abused very easily. Moroi children had it drilled into them from an early age that compulsion was very, very wrong. No one was taught to use it, though every Moroi technically had the ability. Lissa had just sort of stumbled into it – deeply – and, as Christian had pointed out, she could wield it over Moroi, as well as humans and dhampirs.**

"As I can now," Lissa muttered, thinking that no one heard her. She was wrong. Mason gave her a weird look.

"**What are you going to do, then?" she asked. "You going to turn me in?"**

**He shook his head and smiled. "No. I think it's hot."**

**She stared, eyes widening and heart racing. Something about the shape of his lips intrigued her.**

"Why are you in my head, Rose?" Lissa wined nervously.

Rose shrugged her shoulder, while twisting a piece of her brown hair. "I needed some entertainment."

"**Rose thinks you're dangerous," she blurted out nervously. "She thinks you might have killed the fox."**

"Hey," wined Rose. "Don't bring me into your conversation."

**I didn't know how I felt about being dragged into this bizarre conversation. Some people were scared of me. Maybe he was too.**

Christian snorted, "I'm not afraid of you, Rosie."

"Awe man," said Rose, as she was pretending to be sad. "I thought that I was going to get everyone in school scared of me before the end of this year."

**Judging from the amusement in his voice when he spoke, it appeared he wasn't. "People think I'm unstable, but I tell you, Rose is ten times worse.**

Rose glared at the Christian, "I'm not unstable, people are just idiots to mess with me."

**Of course, that makes it harder for people to fuck with ****_you, _****so I'm all for it." Leaning back on his heels, he finally broke the intimate space between them. "And I sure as hell didn't do ****_that. _****Find out who did, though … and what I did to Ralf won't seem like anything."**

"And he called me the unstable one," muttered Rose angrily, as she twisted a piece of her brown hair around her finger.

**His gallant offer of creepy vengeance didn't exactly reassure Lissa … but it did thrill her a little. "I don't want you doing anything like that. And I still don't know who did it."**

**He leaned back toward her and caught her wrists in his hands. He started to say something, then stopped and looked down in surprise, running his thumbs over faint, barely there scars.**

Rhea and Eric looked at their daughter. Rhea, then said, "Vasilisa Dragomir! Show me your wrist now!" Rhea demanded.

Lissa slowly got up from the her spot on the couch, and walked over to her parents. She showed them both of her wrists which had no marks on them whatsoever. "I don't cut."

**Looking back up at her, he had a strange – for him – kindness in his face.**

Everyone gave Christian strange looks. Christian rolled his eyes, "I'm kind. Sometimes."

"Yeah," said Rose, sarcastically. "Sometimes."

"**You might not know who did it. But you know something. Something you aren't talking about."**

**She stared at him, a swirl of emotions playing in her chest. "You can't know all my secrets," she murmured.**

**He glanced back down at her wrists and then released them, that dry smile of his back on his face. "No. I guess not."**

"Really," said Rose, as she looked at Lissa and Christian. "Enough with the mushy lovely dove stuff."

Christian raised an eyebrow, "Why? Is it making you sick, Rose?"

"Totally," said Rose, agreeing with him.

**A feeling of peace settles over her, a feeling I thought only I could bring.** **Returning to my own head** **and my room, I sat on the floor staring at my math book. Then, for reasons I didn't really get, I slammed it shut and threw it against the wall.**

"Hey!" Exclaimed Mia. "How can you do that to the poor math book!"

Everyone stared at Mia like she was nuts. Rose broke out of her look first and said, "Your fucking crazy!"

"No, I'm not," said Mia, defensive.

Christian sighed, "Mia is an obsessive over math."

**I spent the rest of the night brooding until the time I was supposed to meet Jesse came around.**

"You actually went to see him?" questioned Mia, as her blue eyes sparkled.

"Yeah," said Rose, with a sigh.

**Slipping downstairs, I went into the kitchen – a place I could visit so long as I kept things brief – and caught his eye when I cut through the main visiting area.**

**Moving past him, I paused and whispered, "There's a lounge on the fourth floor that nobody uses. Take the stairs on the other side of the bathrooms and meet me there in five minutes. The lock on the door is broken."**

"I think that it is time to fix-up the school," said Alberta, who has recently been quiet.

Abe had a proud smile on his face. He might not know his daughter on a personal level but he still was proud of her.

**He complied to the second, and we found the lounge dark, dusty, and deserted. The drop in guardian numbers over the years meant a lot of the dorm stayed empty, a sad sign for Moroi society but terribly convenient right now.**

**He sat down on the couch, and I lay back on it, putting my feet in his lap. I was still annoyed after Lissa and Christian's bizarre attic romance and wanted nothing more than to forget about it for a while.**

"Not a good way to think about it," muttered André.

Rose gave him a questioning look. She wondered what is problem is.

"**You really here to study, or was it just an excuse?" I asked.**

"**No. It was real. Had to do an assignment with Meredith." The tone in his voice indicated he wasn't happy about that.**

Mason chuckled, "He can't stand Meredith."

"Why?" asked Rose, looking for some gossip.

"Meredith and Jesse have the same father," said Mason. "Their father spends more time with Meredith then Jesse. That's why Jesse hates Meredith."

"Wow," said Mia, her blue eyes full of happiness.

"**Oooh," I teased. "Is working with a dhampir beneath your royal blood? Should I be offended?"**

"You should have been offended," said Abe, furiously.

**He smiled, showing a mouth full of perfect white teeth and fangs. "You're a lot hotter than she is."**

Abe shook his head ,and muttered some threatening words that weren't understandable.

"**Glad I make the cut." There was a sort of a heat in his eyes that was turning me on, as was his hand sliding up my leg.**

André gave out a growl. Startling the others.

**But I needed to do something first. It was time for some vengeance.**

"Hidden Agenda," said Lissa, with a raised eyebrow.

"Dam straight," said Rose, with a smirk on her face.

"**Mia must too, since you guys let her hang out with you. She's not royal."**

Mia sighed, "Great, something about me."

"No shit," said Rose. "You are the enemy in this book."

Mia groaned.

**His finger playfully poked me in the calf. "She's with Aaron. And I've got lots of friends who aren't royal. And friends who are dhamps. I'm not a total asshole."**

"Did he actually say dhamps?" questioned Ivan.

"Yes," said André, disgusted.

"I really got to talk to my distance cousin," said Ivan, with a frown on my his face.

"**Yeah, but did you know her parents are practically custodians for the Drozdovs?"**

Mia glared at Rose, "Where the fuck did you learn that?"

Rose had a smile on her face, "I'm not telling you anything."

**The hand on my leg stopped. I'd exaggerated, but he was a sucker for gossip – and he was notorious for spreading it.**

Lissa snickered, "He is worse than a girl."

"I know," said Rose. "That is why I must have told him."

"**Seriously?"**

"**Yeah. Scrubbing floors and stuff like that."**

"There is nothing wrong with hard work," said Rhea.

"I know," responded Rose and Lissa.

"**Huh."**

**I could see the wheels turning in his dark blue eyes and had to hide a smile. The seed was planted. Sitting up, I moved closer to him and draped a leg over his lap. I wrapped my arms around him, and without further delay, thoughts of Mia disappeared as his testosterone kicked in. He kissed me eagerly – sloppily, even –pushing me against the back of the couch, and I relaxed into what had to be the first enjoyable physical activity I'd had in weeks. We kissed like that for a long time, and I didn't stop him when he pulled off my shirt.**

"We really don't need to hear this," said Janine. Abe, Eric, Rhea, Janine, and Dimitri all agreed with her.

Lissa shot Rose an amused look.

"**I'm not having sex," I warned between kisses.**

"Good," said Janine. André secretly agreed with her.

**I had no intention of losing my virginity on a couch in a lounge.**

**He paused, thinking about this, and finally decided not to push it. "Okay."**

André shook his head, "He was stalling you, Rose. All the guys say that."

**But he pushed me onto the couch, lying over me, still kissing with that same fierceness. His lips travelled down to my neck, and when the sharp points of his fangs brushed against my skin, I couldn't help an excited gasp.**

Janine was looking at her daughter with disappointed.

"You shouldn't have gasped, Rose," said André. "You just gave away your secret."

"I'm such an idiot," said Rose, wining.

"True," said Mia. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

**He raised himself up, looking into my face with open surprise. For a moment, I could barely breathe, recalling that rush of pleasure that a vampire bite could fill me with, wondering what it'd be like to feel that while making out. Then the old taboos kicked in. Even if we didn't have sex, giving blood while we did ****_this_**** was still wrong, still dirty.**

"**Don't," I warned.**

"Not like it is going to stop him," said Mason.

"**You want to." His voice held excited wonder. "I can tell."**

"**No. I don't."**

"Not going to stop him," said Ivan. "Once he has something he wants he will try to go after it."

**His eyes lit up. "You do. How – hey, have you done it before?"**

"**No," I scoffed. "Of course not."**

**Those gorgeous blue eyes watched me, and I could see the wheels spinning behind them. Jesse might flirt a lot and have a big mouth, but he wasn't stupid.**

"He will figure it out, Rose," said Mia.

Rose groaned and hide her head against Andre's chest.

"**You act like you have. You got excited when I was by your neck."**

"**You're a good kisser," I countered, though it wasn't entirely true. He drooled a little more than I would have preferred.**

"Gross," aid all the women in the room.

"**Don't you think everyone would know if I was giving blood?"**

"Not all the time," said André, as he moved some strands of hair out of Roses' eyes.

**The realization seized him. "Unless you weren't doing it before you left. You did it while you were gone, didn't you? You fed Lissa."**

"Oh shit," said Mia. "You really are a blood whore like everyone says."

"What the fuck did you just say!" demanded Rose, as she was struggling to get out of Andre's arms. He was strong for a Moroi, and had some muscles.

"Mia detention tomorrow night with Alto," said Alberta, trying to defuse the fight.

Janine was trying to hold Abe back in his seat. Nobody knew but he was overprotective of Rose, even thou he wasn't in her life until recently.

"**Of course not," I repeated.**

**But he was on to something, and he knew it. "It was the only way. You didn't have feeders. Oh, man."**

"**She found some," I lied. It was the same line we'd fed Natalie, the one she'd spread around and that no one – except Christian – had ever questioned. "Plenty of humans are into it."**

Ivan snorted, "You make it sound like their lines of humans waiting to get bitten by a vampire."

"It's not like he is going to know that," responded Rose, trying to defend herself.

"**Sure," he said with a smile. He leaned his mouth back to my neck.**

"**I'm not a blood whore," I snapped, pulling away from him.**

"Go Rose," said Lissa. Rose rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"**But you **_**want **_**to. You like it. All you dhamp girls do." His teeth were on my skin again. Sharp. Wonderful.**

"Sounds like your becoming addicted," said Eric, as he looked at the girl he considers another daughter.

"I know," wined Rose. She was now embarrassed about herself.

**I had a feeling hostility would only make things worse, so I defused the situation with teasing.**

"Such a Rose thing to do," said Mason.

"I'm a genius," responded Rose, sarcastically.

"**Stop it," I said gently. "I told you, I'm not like that. But if you want something to do with your mouth, I can give you some ideas."**

André raised his right eyebrow at her.

**That peaked his interest. "Yeah? Like wha-?"**

"What happened?" asked Lissa, as she sat towards the edge of her seat in anticipation.

**And that was when the door opened.**

"Busted," said Mia, smirking.

"Oh shut it, little girl," hissed Rose.

**We sprang apart. I was ready to handle a fellow student or even possibly the matron. What I was not ready for was Dimitri.**

**He burst in the door like he'd expected to find us, and in that horrible moment, with him raging like a storm, I knew why Mason had called him a god. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the room and jerked Jesse up by his shirt, nearly holding the Moroi off the ground.**

Ivan looked at his best friend, "Someone's a bit jealous." He teased Dimitri

"**What's your name?" barked Dimitri.**

"**J-Jesse, sir. Jesse Zeklos, sir"**

"**Mr. Zeklos, do you have permission to be in this part of the dorm?"**

"**No, sir."**

"**Do you know the rules about male and female interactions around here?"**

"**Yes, sir."**

"**Then I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can before I turn you over to someone who will punish you accordingly. If I ever see you like this again" – Dimitri pointed to where I cowered, half-dressed, on the couch**

"Half dressed?" asked Janine. "You could have put your shirt on."

**–**"_**I **_**will be the one to punish you. And it will hurt. A lot. Do you understand?"**

"I thought that I would never see the day that Dimitri would threaten a Moroi," said Ivan, happily. "And one who is underage at that. But he deserves it."

**Jesse swallowed, eyes wide. None of the bravado he usually showed was there. I guess there was "usually" and then there was being held in the grip of a really ripped, really tall, and really pissed-off Russian guy. "Yes, sir!"**

"**Then **_**go." **_**Dimitri released him, and, if possible, Jesse got out of there faster than Dimitri had burst in.**

"I wish I could see that," said Rose, with a wishful smile on his face.

**My mentor then turned to me, a dangerous glint in his eye. He didn't say anything, but the angry, disapproving message came through loud and clear.**

"Afraid of the big bad Russian, Rose." Christian teased.

Rose rolled her brown eyes, "In your dreams, Sparky."

**And then it shifted.** **It was almost like he'd been taken by surprise, like he'd never noticed me before.**

Janine glared at Dimitri, who shifted in his seat.

**Had it been any other guy, I would have said he was checking me out. As it was, he was definitely studying me.** **Studying ma face, my body.** **And I suddenly realized I was only in jeans and a bra – a black bra at that. I knew perfectly well that there weren't a lot of girls at this school who looked as good in a bra as I did.**

Rose hid her face in Andre's chest. She really didn't want anyone hearing her thoughts. Janine had to hold Abe back from threatening any of the guys.

**Even a guy like Dimitri, one who seemed so focused on duty and training and all of that, had to appreciate that.**

"I think all the guys do," said Mason, as he glanced at Rose.

**And, finally, I noticed that a hot flush was spreading over me, and that the look in his eyes was doing more to me than Jesse's kissed had.**

"Awe, our Rosie, has a crush on her mentor," said Christian.

"Shut up," said Rose wining. "Don't call me Rosie, either."

**Dimitri was quiet and distant sometimes, but he also had a dedication and an intensity that I'd never seen in any other person. I wondered how that kind of power and strength translated into … well, sex.** **I wondered what it'd be like for him to touch me and – shit!**

Dimitri blush and looked at the ground. He was uncomfortable at reading this. He also saw the expression that Janine and Abe were giving him.

"Rose, I'm shocked," said Lissa. "Thinking about sex with your mentor."

**What was I thinking? Was I out of my mind? Embarrassed, I covered my feelings with attitude.**

"Such a Rose thing to do," Lissa said, fondly.

"**You see something you like?" I asked.**

"**Get dressed."**

"I bet Rose was surprise you said that," said Mason. "No one ever turned her down."

**The set of his mouth hardened, and whatever he'd just felt was gone.** **That fierceness sobered me up and made me forget about my own troubling reaction. I immediately pulled my shirt back on,** **uneasy at seeing his badass side.**

"About time you put your shirt on, little girl." said Abe, as his face was beet red. He was angry, and trying to keep his anger in check.

"**How'd you find me? You following me to make sure I don't run away?"**

"**Be quiet," he snapped, leaning down so that we were at eye level. "A janitor saw you and reported it. Do you have any idea how stupid this was?"**

"He's right Rose," said Janine. "You could have gotten into trouble."

"**I know, I know, the whole probation thing, right?"**

"**Not just that. I'm talking about the stupidity of getting in **_**that **_**kind of situation in the first place."**

"Your jealous man," said Ivan, with a smile on his face. "Their's no denying that."

"**I get in **_**that **_**kind of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal." Anger replaced my fear. I didn't like being treated like a child.**

**"**You are a child," said Abe. "And you will be for a while."

"**Stop calling me that. You don't even know what you're talking about."**

"**Sure I do. I had to do a report on Russia and the R.S.S.R. last year."**

"_**U.**_**S.S.R. And it **_**is **_**a big deal for a Moroi to be with a dhampir girl. They like to brag."**

"That never bothered Rose before," said Mason.

"Shut up, Mase," said Rose, glaring at him.

"**So?"**

"_**So?" **_**he looked disgusted. "So don't you have any respect? Think about Lissa. You make yourself look cheap. You live up to what a lot of people already think about dhampir girls, and it reflects back on her. And me."**

"That was out of line Dimitri," hissed Janine. "Way out of line."

"**Oh, I see. Is that what this is about? Am I hurting your big, bad male pride? Are you afraid I'll ruin your reputation?"**

"His reputation is already set, Rose," said Alberta.

"**My reputation is already made, Rose. I set my standards and lived up to them long ago. What you do with yours remains to be seen." His voice hardened again. "Now get back to your room – if you can manage it without throwing yourself at someone else."**

Andre's eyes hardened, "Don't call her a slut!"

"**Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut?"**

"That's not subtle, Rose," said Christian.

"**I hear the stories you guys tell. I've heard stories about you."**

**Ouch. I wanted to yell back that it was none of his business what I did with my body, but something about the anger and disappointment on his face made me falter. ****I didn't know what it was. "Disappointing" someone like Kirova was a non-event, but Dimitri? … I remembered how proud I'd felt when he praised me the last few times in our practices. Seeing that disappear from him … well, it suddenly made me fell as cheap as he'd implied I was. **

"Your not cheap, Rose," whispered André, into Roses' ear.

**Something broke inside of me. Blinking back tears, ****I said, "Why is it wrong to … I don't know, have fun? I'm seventeen, you know. I should be able to enjoy it."**

"Life isn't fair, Rose," said Janine.

"**You're seventeen, and in less than a year, someone's life and death will be in your hands."**

"He's right," said Rose, smiling at Lissa.

**His voice still sounded firm, but there was a gentleness there too. "If you were human or Moroi, you could have fun. You could do things other girls could."**

"**But you're saying I can't."**

"You can still do the same things as before," said Alberta. "Just during your time off and in moderation."

**he glanced away, and his dark eyes went unfocused. He was thinking about something far away from here. "When I was seventeen, I met Ivan Zeklos.**

"Finally," said Ivan. "I think this is the first time that I'm brought up."

**We weren't like you and Lissa, but we became friends, and he requested me as his guardian when I graduated. I was the top student in my school. I paid attention to everything in my classes, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's how it is in life. One slip, one distraction …" he sighed. "And it's too late."**

"You better not blame yourself for my death, Dimitri," said Ivan, glaring at his best friend.

Dimitri looked away.

**A lump formed in my throat as I thought about one slip or one distraction costing Lissa her life.**

"Nothing will happen to me," said Lissa. "I trust you, Rose."

"**Jesse's a Zeklos," I said, suddenly realizing Dimitri had just thrown around a relative of his former friend and charge.**

"**I know."**

"**Does it bother you? Does he remind you of Ivan?"**

"Jesse is nothing like me," said Ivan.

"**It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how any of us feel."**

"**But it does bother you." It suddenly became very obvious to me. I could read his pain, though he clearly worked hard to hide it. "You hurt. Every day. Don't you? You miss him."**

"Nobody has been able to ever read him," said Ivan, with a look of wonder on his face.

**Dimitri looked surprised, like he didn't want me to know that, like I'd uncovered some secret part of him. ****I'd been thinking that he was some aloof, antisocial tough guy, but maybe he kept himself apart from other people so he wouldn't get hurt if he lost them. Ivan's death had clearly left a permanent mark. ****I wondered if Dimitri was lonely.**

"That's none of your business," said Dimitri.

**The surprised look vanished, and his standard serious one returned. "It doesn't matter how I feel. _They _come first. Protecting them."**

**I thought about Lissa again. "Yeah. They do."**

"I think this book will shed more understanding in the mind of Rose," said Christian.

**A long silence fell before he spoke again.**

"**You told me you want to fight, to **_**really **_**fight. Is that still true?"**

"**Yes. Absolutely."**

"**Rose … I can teach you, but I have to believe you're dedicated. Really dedicated. I can't have you distracted by things like this." He gestured around the lounge. "Can I trust you?"**

Ivan raised his eyebrow at Dimitri, "You just want her for yourself."

**Again, I felt like crying under that gaze, under the seriousness of what he asked. I didn't get how he could have such a powerful effect on me. I'd never cared so much about what one person thought. "Yes. I promise."**

"She doesn't break promises," said Lissa. "Unless she really needs to."

"**All right. I'll teach you, but I need you strong. I know you hate the running, but it really is necessary. You have no idea what Strigoi are like. The school tries to prepare you, but until you've seen how strong they are and how fast … well, you can't even imagine. ****So I can't stop the running and the conditioning. If you want to learn more about fighting, we need to add more trainings. It'll take up more of your time. ****You won't have much left for your homework ****or anything else. You'll be tired. A lot."**

**I thought about it, about him, and about Lissa. "It doesn't matter. If you tell me to do it, I'll do it."**

**He studied me hard, like he was still trying to decide if he could believe me. Finally satisfied, he gave me a sharp nod. "We'll start tomorrow."**

"This is the end of the chapter," said Dimitri.

Rose turned to André, "We need to talk."

* * *

**So what do you think Rose whats to talk to André about? What about Rose's parents being more understanding protective towards her? Do you think Mia and Rose will every get along? Love to hear your thoughts! ~Supernaturalkissed**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Third point of view**

Rose and André went into the next room for a private chat. Rose turned towards him, hands on her hips. Her brown eyes glared at him. "I want to know why you have acted like a jealous boyfriend, André?"

Andre's jade green eyes were looking at everywhere except for Rose. He didn't want to tell her anything. He was afraid that she didn't like him in the same way. A small blush appeared on his cheeks. "I like you, Rose. I like you a lot, and not in a brotherly type of way."

Roses' eyes widened. "I didn't know that."

André let out a deep breath, "Will you go out with me?"

"Yes," said Rose. "But I don't think anyone should know yet."

"Okay," said André, as they both walked into the other room.

"Who is going to read next?" asked Mia.

"Since you asked, Mia, why don't you," said Rose.

"Fine," snapped Mia.

"**Excuse me, Mr. Nagy? I can't really concentrate with Lissa and Rose passing notes over there."**

"Bitch," Rose muttered underneath her breath.

**Mia was attempting to distract attention from herself – as well as from her inability to answer Mr. Nagy's question –****and it was ruining what had otherwise been a promising day. A few of the fox rumors still circulated, but most people wanted to talk about Christian attacking Ralf.**

"Wow," said Rose. "At least your distraction worked, Sparky."

"I know," said Christian, rolled his ice blue eyes. "I'm just that good at what I do."

"Which is what!" taunted Rose. Mia started reading before those two got further into an argument.

**I still hadn't cleared Christian of the fox incident – I was pretty sure he was psycho enough to have done it as some crazy sign of affection for Lissa – but whatever his motives, he had shifted the attention off her, just as he'd said.**

"Which is a good thing," said Rose, with a smirk on her face.

"Rose," groaned Lissa. "Are you going to say something every time it's mentions Christian setting him on fire?"

"No," said Rose. "Not every time."

**Mr. Nagy, legendary for his ability to humiliate students by reading notes aloud, homed in on us like a missile. **

"Really, Rose," said Janine. "He wouldn't be if you were paying attention in class."

Rose sighed, and shook her head not bothering to point out to her mother that this didn't even happen yet.

**He snatched the note away, and the excited class settled in for a full reading.**

"Jerks," Rose muttered underneath her breath. André heard her and pulled her closer to him, gaining himself some looks.

** I swallowed my groan, trying to look as blank and unconcerned as possible. Beside me, Lissa looked like she wanted to die.**

Christian raised his right eyebrow at Lissa, "Over dramatic much?"

"Never," said Lissa, dramatically.

"**My, my," he said, looking the note over. "If only students would write this much in their essays.**

"Maybe if they started to give something worthwhile to write about," said Rose.

"You just don't want to do any work," Mia responded.

"So," drawled out Rose, who looked pointedly at Mia. "He is the one complaining about students not writing much."

"Maybe you should actually do your work," Mia snapped.

"Girls," said Alberta. "Enough!"

** One of you has considerably worse writing than the over,** **so forgive me if I get anything wrong here." He cleared his throat. **

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Rose. "The Apocalypse is coming!"

"Now who is the over dramatic one," said Christian, giving Rose a weird look.

_**"'So, I saw J last night,' **_**began the person with bad handwriting, to which the response is, **_**'What happened,' **_**followed by no fewer than five question marks. Understandable, since sometimes one – let alone four – just won't get the point across, eh?"**

**The class laughed, and I noticed Mia throwing me a particularly mean smile.**

"Which I still can do better," said Rose, winking at the girl mentioned.

Mia scrunched her nose up in disgust, "Ew!"

"**The first speaker responds: **_**'What do you think happened? We hooked up in one of the empty lounges.'"**_

Abe leaned over Janine, and told Alberta, "Those really need to get fixed." He gave a pointed look towards Rose, without her knowing.

Alberta give a sly smile, "It's being fixed as we speak."

**Mr. Nagy glanced up after hearing some more giggles in the room. His British accent only added to the hilarity.**

"Yeah," said Christian with a roll of his eyes. "Hilarious! I'm dying with laughter."

"**May I assume by this reaction that the use of 'hook up' pertains to the more recent, shall we say, **_**carnal **_**application of the term than the tamer one I grew up with?"**

**More snickers ensued. Straightening up, I said boldly, "Yes, sir, Mr. Nagy. ****That would be correct, sir." A number of people in the class laughed outright.**

"Sarcasm, will never get you far in life," said Dimitri, shaking his head.

"No," said Ivan, turning towards his friend, before saying cheerfully. "But it will make life more fun."

"**Thank you for that confirmation, Miss Hathaway. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the other speaker then asks, **_**'How was it?' **_**The response is, **_**'Good,' **_**punctuated with a smiley face to confirm said adjective.**

André frowned, before whispering into Roses' ear, "That doesn't sound like a good time."

Rose blushed, making Rhea and Eric look at each other with matching smiles.

**Well. I suppose kudos are in order for the mysterious J, hmmm? _'So, like, how far did you guys go?' _Uh, ladies," said Mr. Nagy, "I do hope this doesn't surpass a PG rating. _'Not very. We got caught.' _And again, we are shown the severity of the situation, this time through the use of a not-smiling face. _'What happened?' 'Dimitri showed up. He threw Jesse out and then bitched me out.'"_**

"Girls," said Rhea, with a sigh, as she looked at her daughter and Rose.

**The class lost it, both from hearing Mr. Nagy say "bitched" and from finally getting some participants named. **

"Someone is always looking for gossip," said Alberta, with a frown on her face.

"**Why, Mr. Zeklos, are you the aforementioned J? The one who earned the smiley face from the sloppy writer?" Jesse's face turned beet red, but he didn't look entirely displeased at having his exploits made known in front of his friends.**

Mason looked at Rose, his best female friend, "Of course not, Rose, Moroi men like to brag."

André glared at Mason, "Not all of them brag. Not every guy is an asshole."

**He'd kept what had happened a secret thus far – including the blood talk – because I suspected Dimitri had scared the hell out of him.**

"You bet he did," said Ivan, he winked at his friend. "Dimitri is a real scary guy, when he wants to."

"Ivan," whined Dimitri, playfully. "I'm not scary."

"Sure you are," said Rose, with a roll of her brown eyes. "Terrifying."

"**Well, while I applaud a good misadventure as much as the next teacher whose time is utterly wasted, do remind your 'friends' in the future that my class is not a chat room."**

"That's what I thought it was used for," joked Rose.

**He tossed the paper back on Lissa's desk. "Miss Hathaway, it seems there's no feasible way to punish you, since you're already maxed out on penalties around here. Ergo, you, Miss Dragomir, will serve two detentions instead of one on behalf of your friend. ****Stay here when the bell rings, please."**

"Sorry, Lissa," said Rose.

Lissa waved her off, "It's not your fault." Lissa, then, glared at Mia. She wanted to know why Mia had a problem with her best friend.

**After class, Jesse found me, an uneasy look on his face. "Hey, um, about that note … you know I didn't have anything to do with that. If Belikov finds out about it … you'll tell him? I mean, you'll let him know I didn't –"**

"Coward," said Rose, angrily.

"**Yeah, yeah," I interrupted him. "Don't worry, you're safe."**

**Standing with me, Lissa watched him walk out of the room. Thinking about how easily Dimitri had thrown him around – and of his apparent cowardice – I couldn't help but remark, "You know, Jesse's suddenly not as hot as I used to think."**

"He never was," said André.

Rose raised both her eyebrows at his, "Since when did you look at guys?"

"Never," said André, with a horrifying look on his fac.

"I thought so," said Rose, hiding her smug grin.

**She only laughed. "You'd better go. I've got desks to wash."**

"At least it is not something disgusting," said Mason.

"True," said Lissa, shrugging her shoulders. "But work is still work."

**I left her, heading back for my dorm. As I did, I passed a number of students gathered in small clusters outside the building. I regarded them wistfully, wishing I had the free time to socialize.**

"That's your own fault," muttered Janine, thought not too quietly as seeing Rose heard her.

"**No, it's true," I heard a confident voice say. Camille Conta. Beautiful and popular, from one of the most prestigious families in the Conta clan. She and Lissa had sort of been friends before we left, in the uneasy way two powerful forces keep an eye on each other. "They, like, clean toilets or something."**

"Revenge," muttered Rose, in a creepy voice. She received some weird look from some of the people in the room.

"**Oh my God," her friend said. "I'd die if I was Mia."**

"Not die," said Mason. "Just become embarrassed."

Mia blushed at Mason.

**I smiled. Apparently Jesse had spread some of the stories I'd told him last night. Unfortunately, the next overheard conversation shattered my victory.**

"Poor, poor, Rose," said Mia, with a smile on her face.

" – **heard it was still **_**alive. **_**Like, twitching on her bed."**

"**That is so gross. Why would they just leave it there?"**

"**You think Ralf was right? That she and Rose did it to get kicked –"**

**They saw me and shut up.**

"About time," said André, as he held on Rose.

**Scowling, I skulked off across the quadrangle. _Still alive, still alive._**

**I'd refused to let Lissa talk about the similarities between the fox and what had happened two years ago.**

"So this might happen recently," said Abe.

"Girls, is their anything you want to tell us?" asked Eric. "You know, anything out of the ordinary."

Lissa and Rose looked at each other, and said, "Nope."

**I didn't want to believe they were connected, and I certainly didn't want her to either.**

"Never say never," said Ivan. The younger kids looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

**But I hadn't been able to stop thinking about that incident, not only because it was chilling, but because it really did remind me of what had just happened in her room.**

**We had been out in the woods near campus one evening, having skipped out on our last class.**

"Finally," said Abe. "At least we are able to find out this time."

"I know," said Janine, with a small smile on her lips.

**I'd traded a pair of cute, rhinestone-studded sandals to Abby Badica for a bottle of peach schnapps**

Janine's eyes hardened, "What the hell do you mean by alcohol, Rose?"

"Nothing," said Rose, looking in another direction.

** – desperate, yes, but you did what you had to in Montana – which she'd somehow gotten hold of. Lissa had shaken her head in disapproval when I suggested cutting class to go put the bottle out of its misery, but she'd come along anyways. Like always.**

"You don't always have to go with Rose, Lissa," said Rhea.

Lissa shrugged her shoulders, "I would still go anyway."

**We found an old log to sit on near a scummy green marsh. A half-moon cast a tiny sliver of light on us, but it was more than enough for vampires and half-vampires to see by. Passing the bottle back and forth, I grilled her on Aaron.**

Rose narrowed her eyes, "So that means you will be going out with Aaron?"

"I guess," said Lissa, but she wasn't that thrilled.

**She'd fessed up that the two of them had had sex the weekend before, and I felt a surge of jealousy that she'd been the one to have sex first.**

Lissa blushed at all of the looks she was getting.

"**So what was it like?"**

**She shrugged and took another drink. "I don't know. It wasn't anything."**

"**What do you mean it wasn't anything? Didn't the earth move or the planets align or something?"**

All of the guys, well the younger guys, broke into laughter.

"**No," she said, smothering a laugh. "Of course not."**

**I didn't really get why that should be funny, but I could tell she didn't want to talk about it. This was around the time the bond had begun forming, and her emotions were starting to creep into me now and then.**

"So it happened after the car accident," said Alberta. All of the adults nodded in agreement.

**I held up the bottle and glared at it.**

"Glaring at the bottle will not add anymore alcohol, Rose," said André, with a loving smile on his face.

"I wished it did." Rose responded.

"Get a room," said Christian.

Rose turned her head towards his, "Why don't you get a room?"

Christian raised his eyebrow, "What a great comeback."

"I know," said Rose, sarcastically. "It was wonderful."

"**I don't think this stuff is working."**

"**That's because there's barely any alcohol in - "**

"Busted," sang Mia.

"Shut up," said Rose.

**The sound of something moving in the bush came from nearby. I immediately shot up, putting my body between her and the noise.**

"Good," said Alberta.

"**It's some animal," she said when a minute went by in silence.**

**That didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. The school's wards kept out Strigoi, but wild animals often wandered into the outskirts of campus, posing their own threats. Bears. Cougars.**

"And a female named Rose Hathaway,"added Christian.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, "Who the hell are you calling an animal, Sparky?"

"You," he said, with his famous smirk.

"**Come on," I told her. "Let's head back."**

**We hadn't gone very far when I heard something moving again, and someone stepped out into our path. "Ladies."**

"Like I said before," said Mia. "Busted!"

**Ms. Karp.**

All of the students looked at each other, before shaking their heads.

**We froze, and whatever quick reactions I'd shown back by the marsh disappeared as I delayed a few moments in hiding the bottle behind my back.**

"Not going to work," said André.

"I know," whined Rose.

**A half-smile crossed her face, and she held out her hand.**

"See," said André.

**Sheepishly, I gave the bottle to her, and she tucked it under her arm. She turned without another word, and we followed, knowing there would be consequences to deal with.**

"**You think no one notices when half a class is gone?" she asked after a little while.**

"Half a class," said Alberta, shaking her head. "The weather probably is nice out."

"**Half a class?"**

"**A few of you apparently chose today to skip. Must be the nice weather. Spring fever."**

"Or boredom," said Rose.

**Lissa and I trudged along. I'd never been comfortable around Ms. Karp since the time she'd healed my hands. Her weird, paranoid behaviour had taken on a strange quality to me – a lot stranger than before. Scary, even. And lately I couldn't look at her without seeing those marks by her forehead.**

Alberta took out her phone, text someone, and replaced her phone back into her pocket.

**Her deep red hair usually covered them but not always. Sometimes there were new marks; sometimes the old ones faded to nothing. ****A weird fluttering noise sounded to my right. We all stopped.**

"**One of your classmates, I imagine," murmured Ms. Karp, turning toward the sound.**

"Or an animal," said Ivan.

**But when we reached the spot, we found a large black bird lying on the ground.**

"Poor bird," said Lissa.

**Birds – and most animals – didn't do anything for me, but even I had to admire its sleek feathers and fierce beak. It could probably peck someone's eyes out in thirty seconds – if it weren't obviously dying. With a last, half-hearted shake, the bird finally went still.**

"**What is that? Is it a crow?" I asked**

"**Too big," said Ms. Karp. "It's a raven."**

"**Is it dead?" asked Lissa, ****I peered at it.**

** "Yeah. Definitely dead. Don't touch it."**

Rose sighed, "You're going to touch it."

"**Probably attacked by another bird," observed Ms. Karp. "They fight over territory and resources sometimes."**

**Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigated the infamous hamster-and-hermit-crab fight. I'd viewed the fight as a testing of worthy opponents. She'd seen it as animal cruelty.**

**Transfixed, she reached toward the raven.**

"And you touched it," said Rose, with a shake of her head.

"**Liss!" I exclaimed, horrified. "It's probably got a disease."**

"Roses' right," said André. "It's probably infested."

**But her hand moved out like she hadn't even heard me. Ms. Karp stood there like a statue, her white face looking like a ghost's.**

"I think this teacher knows more than she lets on," said Ivan.

"I know," said Abe. "I think we might need to speak with her soon if this book doesn't give us any answers."

** Lissa's fingers stroked the raven's wings.**

"Stroked," said Rose, outraged. "Your petting it like it's alive."

"**Liss," I repeated, starting to move toward her, to pull her back. Suddenly, a strange sensation flooded through my head, a sweetness that was beautiful and full of life. The feeling was so intense, it stopped me in my tracks.**

"Must be the bond," someone muttered lowly.

**Then the raven moved.**

"How?" questioned Eric.

"It was just dead," said Rhea.

"Maybe there's another element out their," said Janine. "Like we all talked about."

"It's probably rare," said Abe.

**Lissa gave a small scream and snatched her hand back. We both stared wide-eyed.**

"Bringing animals back from the dead," said Christian, sounding awed. "So cool."

**The raven flapped its wings, slowly trying to right itself and stand up. When it managed to do so, it turned toward us, fixing Lissa with a look that seemed too intelligent for a bird. Its eyes held hers, and I couldn't read her reaction through the bond. At long last, the raven broke the gaze and lifted into the air, strong wings carrying it away.**

"Creepy raven," said Mia, shuddering.

**Wind stirring the leaves was the only sound left.**

"**Oh my God," breathed Lissa. "What just happened?"**

"That's like we want to know," said Dimitri to the book.

"Do you know that you're talking to a book," said Rose, lifting an eyebrow.

"**Hell if I know," I said, hiding my stark terror.**

"Wow," said Christian. "Rosie is afraid of something. I never thought I would see the day."

"What did I tell you about calling me Rosie," said Rose.

**Ms. Karp strode forward and grabbed Lissa's arm, forcefully turning her so that they faced each other. I was there in a flash, ready to take action if Crazy Karp tried anything, though even I had qualms about taking down a teacher.**

"At least I have some respect," mumbled Rose.

"**Nothing happened," said Ms. Karp in an urgent voice, her eyes wild-looking. "Do you hear me? Nothing. And you can't tell anyone – **_**anyone – **_**about what you saw. Both of you. Promise me. Promise me you won't ever talk about this again."**

"She sounds terrified," said Mason.

**Lissa and I exchanged uneasy glances. "Okay," she croaked out.**

**Ms. Karp's grip relaxed a little. "And don't ever do it again. If you do, they'll find out. They'll try to find you." She turned to me. "You can't let her do it. Not ever again."**

"She sounds paranoid," said Abe. "Are you sure she is able to teach."

"I'm sure," said Alberta. "We might also be able to help her."

**On the quad, outside my dorm, someone was saying my name.**

"Blacked out, Rosie," said Christian.

"**Hey, Rose?" I've called you, like, a hundred times."**

**I forgot about Ms. Karp and the raven and glanced over at Mason, who had apparently started walking with me toward the dorm while I was off in la-la land.**

"More like memory land," said André.

"**Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just out of it. Just … um, tired."**

"Liar," said Mason.

"**Too much excitement last night?"**

"Not enough," muttered Rose, winking at André.

**I gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Nothing I couldn't handle."**

"**I guess," he laughed, though he didn't exactly sound amused. "Sounds like Jesse couldn't handle it."**

"**He did okay."**

"He sounded horrible," said Christian.

"**If you say so. But personally, I think you've got bad taste."**

"I say Mason is just jealous," said Lissa, looking at Mason who was blushing.

**I stopped walking. "And _I _don't think it's any of your business."**

**He looked away angrily. "You made it the whole class's business."**

"Jealous," said Christian.

"**Hey, I didn't do that on purpose."**

"**Would've happened anyway. Jesse's got a big mouth."**

"With Dimitri threatening him," said Ivan. "He wouldn't say anything."

"**He wouldn't have told."**

"**Yeah," said Mason. "Because he's so cute and has such an important family."**

"**Stop being an idiot," I snapped. "And why do you even care? Jealous I'm not doing it with you?"**

"So you finally figured it out, Rose," said Mia.

"Took you long enough," said Lissa.

**His flush grew, going all the way to the roots of his red hair. "I just don't like hearing people talk shit about you, that's all. There are a lot of nasty jokes going around. They're calling you a slut."**

"When doesn't someone say that," said Rose.

"**I don't care what they call me."**

"Yeah, you do, Rose," said Lissa.

"**Oh, yeah. You're really tough. You don't need anyone."**

"That was really low," said Lissa, shaking her head.

**I stopped. "I don't. I'm one of the best novices in this fucking place. I don't need you acting all gallant and coming to my defense. Don't treat me like I'm some helpless girl."**

**I turned around and kept walking, but he caught up to me easily. The woes of being five-seven.**

"At least you're not shorter," said Mia.

"**Look … I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you."**

"How sweet," said Rhea.

**I gave a harsh laugh.**

"**I'm serious. Wait…" he began. "I, uh, did something for you. Sort of. I went to the library last night and tried to look up St. Vladimir."**

"I don't think that they would have a lot in their about him," said Lissa, who visited the library a lot.

**I stopped again. "You did?"**

"Rosie's' surprised," said Christian. "How sweet."

"**Yeah, but there wasn't much on Anna. All the books were kind of generic. Just talked about him healing people, bringing them back from the edge of death."**

**That last part hit a nerve.**

"It's all in code," said Rose.

"For you it is," said Mia.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" demanded Rose.

"Figure it out," said Mia, with a smirk on her face. Before Rose could respond, mia started reading again.

"**Was … was there anything else?" I stammered.**

**He shook his head. "No. You probably need some primary sources, but we don't have any here."**

"**Primary what?"**

**He scoffed, a smile breaking over his face. "Do you do anything but pass notes? We just talked about them the other day in Andrew's class. They're books from the actual time period you want to study. Secondary ones are written by people living today. You'll get better information if you find something written by the guy himself. Or someone who actually knew him."**

"**Huh. Okay. What are you, like, a boy genius now?"**

"Only when it comes to you," Mason muttered underneath his breath.

**Mason gave me a light punch in the arm. "I pay attention, that's all. You're so oblivious. You miss all sorts of things."**

**He smiled nervously. "And look … I really am sorry about what I said. I was just - "**

**Jealous, I realized.** **I could see it in his eyes. How had I never noticed this before? He was crazy about me. I guess I really was oblivious.**

"Or just plain stupid," said Mia.

"Like you can talk," said Rose.

"**It's all right, Mase. Forget about it." I smiled. "And thanks for looking that stuff up."**

**He smiled back, and I went inside, sad that I didn't feel the same way about him.**

"That is the end of the book," said Mia.

Mason just bolted out of the front door.

"I will go and talk to him," said Rose, as she followed him out of the front door.

* * *

**Mason's Point of view**

I was anger. Throughout most of this book I've seen Rose flirt with André, the player. What could he possibly want with Rose, unless it was sex? But he could get that with anyone. Right?

Shaking my head I went to hideout that Eddie, Rose, and I have used for several years. I didn't know why Eddie wasn't reading this book, but I know for a fact he was visiting his mother in the nearest town.

"Mase," said Rose, climbing to where I was sitting. "I want to say sorry for how I have acted lately."

"No need too," I told her. "I was also being an ass."

Rose smiled. "No you weren't."

I ran a hand through my short red hair, a habit I do when I'm nervous, "I just can't stand seeing André flirt with you. I have been in love with you for a while and you don't feel the same way."

Rose looked conflicted. "Mase..."

Taking a deep breath, I kissed her with all I had.

* * *

**Ohhhhh****! It looks like Rose is in a bit of a pickle? She just started going out with André, and now Mason is kissing her? Talk about a load of guy problems. This is not a Rose/André or a Rose/Mason Pairing permanently or any other Rose/another guy. But there will be a lot of drama with Rose, dealing with guys. ~Supernaturalkissed.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Third person point of view**

**Chapter Eleven**

Rose pushed Mason away from her. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," Mason replied. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Rose shook her head at him. "I can see that, but why did you kiss me?"

"I wanted too," said Mason, running his fingers through his hair. "I have been wanting to kiss you for some time."

"Oh," said Rose, shocked. She didn't know that her friend wanted to kiss her. "I didn't know that."

"I kind of realized that," said Mason, frowning.

Rose didn't know what to say to her friend. She didn't want to break his heart, but she also didn't want to hurt Andre either. She took in a deep breath. "Mason, can we talk about this when the book is over. I'm confused right now, and I need some time to think about everything."

"Sure," said Mason, trying not to sound disappointed. "I should have thought about it."

"Thank you," said Rose. "I think we should go back to the others, before they decided to send a search party after us."

"Okay," said Mason.

The two dhampir teens walked back to the room with the others. Everyone was sitting their, patiently for the others to return.

"Who is going to read next?" asked Lissa, trying to break the awkward tension.

"I will," said Abe.

"**You need something to wear?" Lissa asked.**

"Don't you have any clothes?" asked Mia, sarcastically.

Rose narrowed her eyes, "Better clothes then you."

"**Hmm?"**

"See," said Mia, with a grin on her face. "Even your future self agrees with me."

"Will you just shut up," said Rose. "This chapter will never get finished if you keeping opening your mouth about stupid shit."

**I glanced over at her. We were waiting for Mr. Nagy's Slavic Art class to start, and I was preoccupied with listening to Mia adamantly deny the claims about her parents to one of her friends.**

"**It's not like they're servants or anything," she exclaimed, clearly flustered. Straightening her face, she tried for haughtiness. "They're practically advisors. The Drozdovs don't decide **_**anything **_**without them."**

"Like that will get you anywhere," said Ivan, shaking his head. "The damage is already done."

**I choked on a laugh, and Lissa shook her head.**

"**You're enjoying this way too much."**

Rose, sat up in her seat, and said in an oblivious voice, "Of course I would. I think you would know me by now."

Lissa smiled at her best friend, "I do know you very well, Rose."

"Awe," said Christian. "What a touching moment. I think I'm going to need a tissue."

"More like a punch in the nose," Rose muttered.

"**Because it's awesome. What'd you just ask me?" I dug through my bag, messily looking for my lip gloss. I made a face when I found it. It was almost empty; I didn't know where I was going to score some more.**

"Poor Rosie, can't even get lip gloss," said Mia, sarcastically.

Rose rolled her eyes at the young girl. "At least I know how to properly apply make-up and not look like I belong in a circus. And don't call me Rosie."

"**I asked if you need something to wear tonight," she said.**

"**Well, **_**yeah, **_**of course I do. But none of your stuff fits me."**

"That's cause you weight a tone," said Mia.

Rose just ignored her. She didn't bother giving the girl a comeback.

"**What are you going to do?"**

**I shrugged my shoulders. "Improvise, like always. I don't really care anyway. I'm just glad Kirova's letting me go."**

"That is a good thing," said Janine. She was glad that Rose was behaving.

**We had an assembly tonight. It was November 1, All Saints' Day – which also meant we'd been back almost a month now. A royal group was visiting the school, including Queen Tatiana herself.**

"Oh great," Rose muttered to herself. She really didn't like that woman.

**Honestly, that wasn't what excited me. She'd visited the Academy before. It was pretty common and a lot less cool than it sounded. Besides, after living among humans and elected leaders, I didn't think much of stiff royals.**

"Such a Rose think to think," said Mason, with a fond smile on his face.

Ivan looked offended. "Hey! Not everyone is a stiff."

"I know," said Rose. "But some are."

**Still, I'd gotten permission to go because everyone else would be there. It was a chance to hang out with actual people for a change and not stay locked in my dorm room. A little freedom was definitely worth the pain of sitting through a few boring speeches.**

"It's all about the freedom," said Christian. "Who figured."

"It's Rose," said Lissa. "What did you expect?"

"Hey!" Rose exclaimed. "That's not nice."

**I didn't stay to chat with Lissa after school like I usually did. Dimitri had stuck to his promise about extra trainings, and I was trying to stick to mine.**

"Good," said Dimitri.

"I do keep my promises," said Rose, as she narrowed her eyes at him.

**I now had two additional hours of practice with him, one before _and _one after school. The more I watched him in action, the more I understood the badass-god reputation. He clearly knew a lot – his six _molnija _marks proved as much – and I burned to have him teach me what he knew.**

"Awe," said Christina in a baby voice. "Looks like little Rosie has a crush on her mentor."

"Shut up," said Rose. "I think that I'm going death just hearing you speak in baby talk."

**When I arrived at the gym, I noticed he was wearing a T-shirt and loose running pants, as opposed to his usual jeans. It was a good look for him. Really good. _Stop looking, _I immediately told myself.**

Lissa, who was sitting next to Rose, whispered into her ear, "I think he is cute, too."

"I know." Rose whispered back.

Neither one of them noticed the look on Christian face. He looked heart broken. He was the only one to hear the girls whispering to each other, as seeing he was sitting on the other side of Lissa.

**He positioned me so that we stood facing each other on the mat and crossed his arms. "What's the first problem you'll run into when facing a Strigoi?"**

"**They're immortal?"**

"Obviously," said Mia, sarcastically.

"**Think of something more basic."**

**More basic than that? I considered. "They could be bigger than me. And stronger."**

"Everyone is bigger than you," said Mia.

"Look who's talking, shrimp," said Rose.

**Most Strigoi – unless they'd been human first – had the same height as their Moroi cousins. Strigoi also had better strength, reflexes and senses than dhampirs. That's why guardians trained so hard; we had a "learning curve" to compensate for.**

**Dimitri nodded. "That makes it difficult but not impossible. You can usually use a person's extra height and weight against them."**

"True," said Janine. "You should be paying attention to this, Rose?"

"I am," said Rose, who went back to observing her fingernails.

**He turned and demonstrated several maneuvers, pointing out where to move and how to strike someone. Going through the motions with him, I gained some insight into why I took such a regular beating in group practice.**

Mia snorted. "That's because you suck."

"Wow," said Rose, sarcastically. "Thank you for the wonderful insight of my horrible fighting. Do you want to be my next fighting partner? Cause I need one, and I think you would be the perfect person."

"Girls!" Alberta warned them. "Behave!"

**I absorbed his techniques quickly and couldn't wait to actually use them. ****Near the end of our time together, he let me try.**

"**Go ahead," he said. "Try to hit me."**

**I didn't need to be told twice.**

"Of coarse you don't," said Janine, shaking her head fondly.

**Lunging forward, I tried to land a blow and was promptly blocked and knocked down onto the mat. Pain surged through my body, but I refused to give into it. I jumped up again, hoping to catch him off guard. I didn't.**

"He is a trained guardian, Rose, you wont be able to get him down that quick," said Alberta.

I know," said Rose. "Wishful thinking."

**After several more failed attempts, I stood up and held out my hands in a gesture of truce. "Okay, what am I doing wrong?"**

"Everything," said Mia.

"**Nothing."**

"How is that possible?" asked Mia. "She sucked."

No one bothered to answer her question.

**I wasn't as convinced. "If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now."**

"Wishful thinking," said Ivan.

"**Unlikely. Your moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done it for years."**

"Cheater," said Rose, sticking her tongue out at Dimitri.

**I shook my head and rolled my eyes at his older-and-wiser manner. He'd once told me he was twenty-four. "Whatever you say, Grandpa. Can we try it again?"**

"I'm not that old," said Dimitri, looking offended.

"If the shoe fits," replied Rose.

"**We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?"**

**I looked at the dusty clock on the wall and perked up. Almost time for the banquet. The thought made me giddy. I felt like Cinderella, but without the clothes.**

Mia broke into laughter. "Wow, like that would ever happen, ever."

"Oh shut up," said Rose, but her voice held some kind of emotions that her father only noticed.

"**Hell, yeah, I do."**

"What a great answer," said Christian. "Swearing in front of your teachers."

**He walked off ahead of me. Studying him carefully, I realized I couldn't let the opportunity go by. I leapt at his back, positioning myself exactly the way he'd taught me.**

"Not going to work," said Ivan, with a smile on his face.

**I had the element of surprise.** **Everything was perfect, and he wouldn't even see me coming. ****Before I could make contact, he spun around at a ridiculously high speed. In one deft motion, he grabbed me like I weighed nothing and threw me to the ground, pinning me there.**

"See," said Ivan. "I told you."

"Great job," said Rose, sarcastically. "Do you want a cookie for your reward?"

"Very funny," said Ivan, rolling his eyes.

"I know I am," said Rose.

**I groaned. "I didn't do anything wrong!"**

"Of coarse you didn't," said Dimitri.

**His eyes looked levelly into mine as he held my wrists, but he didn't look as serious as he had during the lesson. He seemed to find this funny. "The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time."**

"Battle cry," said Mason, with a found smile on his face. "That is so you."

"**Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?"**

**He thought about it. "No. Probably not."**

**I sighed loudly, still in too much of a good mood to really let this disappointment get me down. There were some advantages to having suck a kick-ass mentor – one who also happened to have a foot of height on me and outweighed me considerably.**

"Are you calling me fat?"questioned Dimitri, as he raised his right eyebrow.

"Yes," said Rose, without giving any emotions away.

**And that wasn't even considering his strength. He wasn't bulky, but his body had a lot of hard, lean muscle. If I could ever beat _him, _I could beat anyone. ****All of a sudden, it occurred to me that he was still holding me down.**

Abe, Janine, and Eric glared at Dimitri.

**The skin on his fingers was warm as he clutched my wrists. His face hovered inches from my own, and his legs and torso were actually pressing against mine.** **Some of his long brown hair hung around his face, and he appeared to be noticing me too, almost like he had that night in the lounge.** **And oh _God, _did he smell good. Breathing became difficult for me, and it had nothing to do with the workout** **or my lungs being crushed. I would have given anything to be able to read his mind right then. Ever since that night in the lounge, I'd noticed him watching me with this same, studious expression. He never actually did it during the trainings themselves – those were _business. _But before and after, he would sometimes lighten up just a little, and I'd see him look at me in a way that was almost admiring.**

**And sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, he'd smile at me. A real smile too – not the dry one that accompanied the sarcasm we tossed around so often. I didn't want to admit it to anyone – not to Lissa, not even to myself – but some days, I lived for those smiles.**

"I'm sounding like a love-sick girl," said Rose, with a disgusted look on her face.

**They light up his face. "Gorgeous" no longer adequately described him.**

Rose, blushed, and looked towards the floor. She hated that their reading her future thoughts. But she agreed with her future she, as seeing his is gorgeous. Although, she doesn't want anyone to know, especially Mason and André.

**Hoping to appear calm, I tried to think of something professional and guardian-related to say. Instead, I said, "So um … you got any other moves to show me?"**

"Talk about awkward," said Christian.

**His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought I was going to get one of those smiles. My heart leapt. Then, with visible effort, he pushed the smile back and once more became my tough-love mentor. He shifted off me, ****leaned back on his heels, and rose. "Come on. We should go."**

"About time," Abe muttered underneath his breath.

**I scrambled to my own feet and followed him out of the gym. He didn't look back as he walked, and I mentally kicked myself on the way back to my room. **

"Poor, Rosie," said Mia.

"Oh shut up," said Rose.

**I was crushing on my mentor. Crushing on my _older _mentor. I had to be out of my mind.**

"When aren't you?" questioned Christian.

**He was seven years older than me. Old enough to be my …**

"He is not old enough to be your anything Rose," said Ivan. "Except maybe being an older brother."

Janine and Abe glared at Ivan, for making such a comment.

**well, okay, nothing. But still older than me.**

"No shit," said Christian.

**Seven years was a lot. He'd been learning to write when I was born. When I'd been learning to write and throw books at my teachers, he'd probably been kissing girls. Probably lots of girls, considering how he looked. ****I _so _did not need this complication in my life right now.**

**I found a passable sweater back in my room and after a quick shower, I headed off across campus to the reception. Despite the looming stone walls, fancy statues, and turrets on the outsides of the buildings, the Academy's insides were quite modern.**

"Now that's a good thing," said Andre.

**We had Wi-Fi, fluorescent lights, and just about anything else technological you could imagine. The commons in particular looked pretty much like the cafeterias I'd eaten in while in Portland and Chicago, with simple rectangular tables, soothing taupe walls, and a little room off to the side where our dubiously prepared meals were served.**

"I think we all know how the room looks like," said Mia.

**Someone had at least hung framed black-and-white photos along the walls in an effort to decorate it, but I didn't really consider pictures of vases and leafless trees "art."**

**Tonight, however, someone had managed to transform the normally boring commons into a bona fide dining room. Vases spilling over with crimson roses and delicate white lilies. Glowing candles. Tablecloths made of – wait for it – bloodred linen. The effect was gorgeous. It was hard to believe this was the same place I usually ate chicken patty sandwiches in. It looked fit for, well, a queen.**

"I think that is what they were going for," said Mason.

"I didn't know that," said Rose, as she rolled her brown eyes. "Thanks , for telling me the obvious."

**The tables had been arranged in straight lines, creating an aisle down the middle of the room. We had assigned seating, and naturally, I couldn't sit anywhere near Lissa. She sat in the front with the other Moroi; I was in the back with the novices. But she did catch my eye when I entered and flashed me a smile. She'd borrowed a dress from Natalie – blue, silky, and strapless – that looked amazing with her pale features.**

"That dress sounds pretty," said Lissa, with a far away smile on her face.

**Who'd known Natalie owned anything so good? It made my sweater lose a few cool points.**

**They always conducted these formal banquets in the same way. A head table sat on a dais at the front of the room, where we could all ooh and ahh and watch Queen Tatiana and other royals eat dinner. Guardians lined the walls, as stiff and formal as statues. Dimitri stood among them, ****and a weird feeling twisted my stomach as I recalled what had happened in the gym. His eyes stared straight ahead, as if focusing on nothing and everything in the room at once.**

Dimitri shook his head. He didn't know what to think about having a fifteen year old girl, who happens to be seventeen in the future, think about him like this.

**When the time came for the royals' entrance, we all stood up respectfully and watched as they walked down the aisle. I recognized a few, mostly those who had children attending the Academy. Victor Dashkov was among them, ****walking slowly and with a cane. While I was happy to see him, I cringed to watch each agonizing step he took toward the front of the room.**

"He must be getting worst," said Eric.

**Once that group had passed, four solemn guardians with red-and-black pin-striped jackets entered the commons. Everyone but the guardians along the wall sank to their knees in a silly show of royalty.**

**What a lot of ceremony and posturing, I thought wearily. Moroi monarchs were chosen by the previous monarch from within the royal families. The king or queen couldn't choose one of his or her own direct descendants, and a council from the noble and royal families could dispute the choice with enough cause. That almost never happened, though.**

"Never say never," said Andre.

**Queen Tatiana followed her guards, wearing a red silk dress and matching jacket. She was in her early sixties and had dark gray hair bobbed to her chin and crowned with a Miss America-type tiara. She moved into the room slowly, like she was taking a stroll, four more guardians at her back.**

**She moved through the novices' section fairly quickly, though she did nod and smile here and there. Dhampirs might just be the half-human, illegitimate children of the Moroi, but we trained and dedicated our lives to serving and protecting them. The likelihood was strong that many of us gathered here would die young, and the queen had to show her respect for that.**

Rose closed her eyes. She was not going to say anything mean about her in this room. But she surely did hate how dhampirs are treated.

**When she got to the Moroi section, she paused longer and actually spoke to a few students. It was a big deal to be acknowledged, mostly a sign that someone's parents had gotten in good with her. Naturally, the royals got the most attention. She didn't really say much to them that was all that interesting, mostly just a lot of fancy words.**

"**Vasilisa Dragomir."**

"Why would she want to talk to me?" questioned Lissa.

"Probably to make sure your okay," said Rose, with a sad smile on her face.

**My head shot up. Alarm coursed through the bond at the sound of her name. breaking protocol,** **I pushed out of my position and wiggled over to get a better view, knowing no one would notice me when the queen herself had personally singled out the last of the Dragomirs. ** **Everyone was eager to see what the monarch had to say to Lissa the runaway princess.**

"**We heard you had returned. We are glad to have the Dragomirs back, even though only one remains. We deeply regret the loss of your parents and your brother. They were among the finest of the Moroi; their deaths are a true tragedy."**

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Rhea, to her husband.

"I know," he said, with a shake of his head.

**I'd never understood the royal "we" thing, but otherwise, everything sounded okay.**

"**You have an interesting name," she continued. "Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa.** **Vasilisa the brave, Vasilisa the beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries."**

"What does that have to do with anything?" questioned Rhea, who was getting angry with the queen.

"**Likewise, the Dragomir name commands its own respect. Dragomir kings and queens have ruled wisely and justly in our history. ****They have used their powers for miraculous ends. They have slain Strigoi, fighting right alongside their guardians. They are _royal _for a reason."**

"I don't like where this is going," said Eric.

Lissa had a frown on her face. "This is going to be embarrassing."

**She waited a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. I could feel the mood changing in the room, as well as the surprise and shy pleasure creeping out from Lissa. This would shake the social balance. We could probably expect a few wannabes trying to get in good with Lissa tomorrow.**

"More then likely," said Andre.

"**Yes," Tatiana continued, "you are doubly named with power. Your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor." She paused a moment. "But, as you have demonstrated, names do **_**not **_**make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out."**

"Jerk," whispered Lissa, underneath her breath. Christian and Rose both noticed this. Christian took her hand in comfort, while Rose was worrying about her self-pity thinking that she was the one to cause her friend such grief.

**And with that verbal slap in the face, she turned away and continued her procession. ****A collective shock filled the room. I briefly contemplated and then dismissed any attempts at jumping into the aisle and tackling the queen.**

"Rose! What the hell were you thinking!" Exclaimed Janine.

Rose rolled her brown eyes. "This book is set in the future, so I don't know what I'm think, thank yo very much."

**Half a dozen guardians would have me down on the floor before I'd even taken five steps.**

"More than a half of a dozen," said Alberta.

**So I sat impatiently through dinner, all the while feeling Lissa's absolute mortification. ****When the post-dinner reception followed, Lissa made a beeline for the doors leading out to the courtyard. ****I followed, but got delayed having to weave around and avoid the mingling, socializing people.**

"I hate when you have to do that," said Lissa.

**She'd wandered outside to an adjacent courtyard, one that matched the Academy's grand external style. **

**A roof of carved, twisting wood covered the garden, with little holes here and there to let in some light, but not enough to cause damage to Moroi. Trees, leaves now gone for the winter, lined the area and guarded paths leading out to other gardens, courtyards, and the main quadrangle. A pond, also emptied for the winter, lay in a corner, and standing over it was an imposing statue of St. Vladimir himself. Carved of gray rock, he wore long robes and had a beard and mustache.**

"Never forget the beard and mustache," said Christian, with a roll of his eyes.

**Rounding a corner, I stopped when I saw Natalie had beaten me to Lissa. I considered interrupting but stepped back before they could see me. Spying might be bad,** **but I was suddenly very curious to hear what Natalie had to say to Lissa.**

"Did no one ever tell you that eavesdropping is wrong?" Mia asked.

"Nope," said Rose, with a big smile on her face.

"**She shouldn't have said that," Natalie said.**

"True," said Rhea. "But you never know what is going through her mind."

**She wore a yellow dress similar in cut to Lissa's, but somehow lacked the grace and poise to make it look as good. Yellow was also a terrible color on her.** **It clashed with her black hair, which she'd put up into an off-center bun. "It wasn't right," she went on. "Don't let it bother you."**

"But you will," said Rose, shaking her head sadly.

"**Kind of late for that." Lissa's eyes locked firmly on the stone walkway below.**

"**She was wrong."**

"**She's **_**right," **_**Lissa exclaimed. "My parents … and Andre … they would have hated me for what I did."**

"No we don't," said Eric.

"Their was probably a reason why you left in the first place," said Rhea.

"We would never hate you, Lissa," said Andre. "So stop thinking about that."

"**No, they wouldn't have." Natalie spoke in a gentle voice.**

"**It was stupid to run away. Irresponsible."**

"**So what? You made a mistake. I make mistakes all the time. The other day, I was doing this assignment in science, and it was for chapter ten, and I'd actually read chapter elev – " Natalie stopped herself and, in a remarkable show of restraint, got herself back on track.**

Alberta shook her head, "That is not the same thing."

"**People change.** **We're always changing, right? You aren't the same as you were then. I'm not the same as I was then."**

"But still talkative," said Rose.

**Actually, Natalie seemed _exactly _the same to me, but that didn't bother me so much anymore. She'd grown on me.**

"Like a parasite," said Christian, sarcastically.

Lissa glared at him, "That was rude."

"**Besides," she added, "was running away really a mistake? You must have done it for a reason. You must have gotten something out of it, right? ****There was a lot of bad stuff going on with you, wasn't there? With your parents and your brother. I mean, maybe it was the right thing to do."**

**Lissa hid a smile. Both of us were pretty sure Natalie was trying to find out why we had left – just like everyone else in the school. She sort of sucked at being sneaky.**

"She always is trying to find out stuff that she shouldn't," said Andre.

"**I don't know if it was, no," Lissa answered. "I was weak. Andre wouldn't have run away. He was so good.** **Good at everything. Good at getting along with people and all that royal crap."**

"I'm not good at everything", said Andre. "So please stop trying to do everything I would do. Just be yourself."

"**You're good at that too."**

"**I guess. But I don't like it. I mean, I like people … but most of what they do is so fake. That's what I don't like."**

"That seems to never change," said Rhea.

"**Then don't feel bad about not getting involved," Natalie said. "I don't hang out with all those people either, and look at **_**me. **_**I'm just fine. Daddy says he doesn't care if I hang out with the royals or not. He just wants me to be happy."**

"**And that," I said, finally making my appearance, "is why **_**he **_**should be ruling instead of that bitch of a queen. He got robbed."**

**Natalie nearly jumped ten feet. I felt pretty confident her vocabulary of swear words mostly consisted of "golly" and "darn."**

Rose chuckled happily at making Natalie jump.

"**I wondered where you were," said Lissa.**

**Natalie looked back and forth between us, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed to be right between the best-friends dream team. She shifted uncomfortably and tucked some messy hair behind her ear. "Well … I should go find Daddy. I'll see you back in the room."**

"What a way to make an exit," said Mason. "I think she is afraid of you Rosie."

"Who isn't," said Mia.

"**See you," said Lissa. "And thanks."**

**Natalie hurried off.**

"**Does she really call him **_**'Daddy'?"**_

Abe rolled his eyes at his daughters thinking.

**Lissa cut me a look. "Leave her alone. She's nice."**

"**She is, actually. I heard what she said, and as much as I hate to admit it, there was nothing there I could really make fun of. It was all true." I paused. "I'll kill her, you know. The queen, not Natalie. Screw the guardians. I'll do it. She can't get away with that."**

"Rose!" exclaimed most of the room.

"Hey I didn't say anything my future self did. Besides I just probably just blowing off some steam," said Rose.

"**God, Rose! Don't say that. They'll arrest you for treason. Just let it go."**

"**Let it go? After what she said to you? In front of everyone?"**

**She didn't answer or even look at me. Instead, she toyed absentmindedly with the branches of a scraggly bush that had gone dormant for the winter. There was a vulnerable look about her that I recognized – and feared.**

"**Hey." I lowered my voice. "Don't look like that. She doesn't know what she's talking about, okay? Don't let this get you down. Don't do anything you shouldn't."**

"Good advice, Rose," said Mason.

"Wow," said Mia. "She does have a heart. Who knew?"

"A lot of people," said Rose.

**She glanced back up at me. "It's going to happen again, isn't it?" she whispered. Her hand, still clutching the tree, began to tremble.**

"**Not if you don't let it." I tried to look at her wrists without being too obvious. "You haven't? …"**

"**No." She shook her head and blinked back tears. "I haven't wanted to. I was upset after the fox, but it's been okay. I like the coasting thing. I miss seeing you, but everything's been all right. I like …" She paused.**

**I could hear the word forming in her mind.**

"**Christian."**

"Awe," said Rose. "Young love."

"**I wish you couldn't do that. Or wouldn't."**

"**Sorry. Do I need to give you the Christian's-a-psychopathic-loser talk again?"**

"**I think I've got it memorized after the last ten times," she muttered.**

"Someone is mad," said Andre, with a frown on his face.

**I started to launch into number eleven when I heard the sound of laughter and the clatter of high heels on stone. Mia walked toward us with a few friends in tow but no Aaron. ****Immediately, my defenses snapped on.**

**Internally, Lissa was still shaken over the queen's comments. Sorrow and humiliation were swirling inside of her. She felt embarrassed over what others must think of her now and kept thinking about how her family would have hated her for running away.**

**I didn't believe that, but it felt real to her, and her dark emotions churned and churned. She was _not _okay, no matter how casual she'd just tried to act, and I was worried she might do something reckless. Mia was the last person she needed to see right now.**

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Rose, as she glared at Mia.

"**What do you want?" I demanded.**

**Mia smiled haughtily at Lissa and ignored, taking a few steps forward. "Just wanted to know what it's like to be _so _important and _so _royal. You must be so excited that the queen talked to you." Giggles surfaced from the gathering group.**

"Idiot's," said Ivan, with a shake of his head.

"**You're standing too close." I stepped between them, and Mia flinched a little, possibly still worried I might break her arm.**

"Or worse." Mia muttered.

"**And hey, at least the queen knew her name, which is more than I can say for you and your wannabe-royal act. **_**Or **_**your parents."**

**I could see the pain that caused her. Man, she wanted to be royal so badly.**

"You can't always get what you want," said Rose.

"**At least I **_**see **_**my parents," she retorted.**

"Ouch," said Christian.

"**At least I know who they both are. God only knows who your father is.** **And your mom's one of the most famous guardians around, but she couldn't care less about you either.** **Everyone knows she never visits. Probably was glad when you were gone. If she even **_**noticed."**_

Abe stopped reading and glared at Mia. Janine also glared at the young girl. Only two people noticed Rose's sadness, Mason and Christian.

**That hurt. I clenched my teeth. "Yeah, well, at least she's famous. She really does advise royals and nobles. She doesn't clean up after them."**

"I think you just blew your cover, Rose," said Ivan.

**I heard one of her friends snicker behind her. Mia opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash one of the many retorts she'd had to accumulate since the story started going around, when the lightbulb went off in her head.**

"**It was **_**you," **_**she said, eyes wide. "Someone told me Jesse'd started it, but he couldn't have known anything about me. He got it from you. When you **_**slept **_**with him."**

"Low blow," said Andre.

"Maybe you slept with him," said Rose.

"Who? Me?" asked Andre, confused.

"No," said Rose, rolling her eyes. "Mia. Unless your hiding your sexual preference."

"No," said Andre. "I'm straight."

**Now she was really starting to piss me off. "I didn't sleep with him."**

**Mia pointed at Lissa and glared back at me. "So that's it, huh? You do her dirty work because she's too pathetic to do it herself. You aren't always going to be able to protect her," she warned. "_You _aren't safe either."**

**Empty threats. I leaned forward, making my voice as menacing as possible. In my current mood, it wasn't difficult. "Yeah? Try and touch me now and find out."**

"Wow," said Mason. "You unleash your scary voice."

**I hoped she would. I wanted her to. We didn't need her messed-up vendetta in our lives just now. She was a distraction – one I very much wanted to punch right now.**

"Got to control your anger, young grasshopper," said Ivan, in a scholarly voice.

**Looking past her, I saw Dimitri move out into the garden, eyes searching for something – or someone. ****I had a pretty good idea who it was. When he saw me, he strode forward, shifting his attention when he noticed the crowd gathered around us. Guardians can smell a fight a mile away.****Of course, a six-year-old could have smelled this fight.**

"I would say that is more of an argument," said Rose. "If I was fighting her I would already broken her arm."

**Dimitri stood beside me and crossed his arms. "Everything all right?"**

"**Sure thing, Guardian Belikov." **

**I smiled as I said it, but I was furious. Raging, even. This whole Mia confrontation had only made Lissa feel worse. "We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's _fascinating." _**

"**Come on," said Mia to her followers. She led them off, but not before she'd given me one last, chilling look. I didn't need to read her mind to know what it said. This wasn't over. She was going to try to get one or both of us back. Fine. Bring it on, Mia.**

"Cat fight in the making," said Mason.

"More like a female war staring two females," said Ivan.

"**I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm," Dimitri told me drily. "You weren't about to just start a fight, were you?"**

"**Of course not," I said, my eyes still glaring at the empty doorway Mia had disappeared through. "I don't start fights where people can see them."**

"Not true," said Mason. "You start fights anywhere."

"**Rose," groaned Lissa.**

"**Let's go. Good night, Princess."**

**He turned, but I didn't move. "You going to be okay, Liss?"**

**She nodded. "I'm fine."**

"No your not," said Rose.

"You know that your talking to a book," said Lissa.

"I know that," said Rose, sticking her tongue out.

**It was such a lie I couldn't believe she had the nerve to try to put it past me. I didn't need the bond to see tears shining in her eyes. We should never have come back to this place, I realized bleakly. **

"**Liss …"**

**She gave me a small, sad smile and nodded in Dimitri's direction. "I told you, I'm fine. You've got to go."**

**Reluctantly, I followed him. ****He led me out toward the other side of the garden. "We may need to add an extra training on self-control," he noted.**

"**I have plenty of self contr – hey!"**

"No, I don't," said Rose, with a smile on her face.

**I stopped talking as I saw Christian slip past us, moving down the path we'd just come from. I hadn't seen him at the reception, but if Kirova had released me to come tonight, I suppose she would have done the same for him.**

"**You going to see Lissa?" I demanded, shifting my Mia rage to him.**

"Rose," said Lissa. "That was rude."

"Sorry," said Rose. Not knowing if she really meant it.

**He stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave me that look of bad-boy indifference. "What if I am?"**

"**Rose, this isn't the time," said Dimitri.**

**But it was _so _the time. Lissa had ignored my warnings about Christian for weeks. It was time to go to the source and stop their ridiculous flirtation once and for all.**

"Rose..." warned Lissa.

"Sorry," said Rose.

"**Why don't you just leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you?"**

"Someone is jealous," said Mason.

**He scowled. "You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She's told me all about your weird obsession – how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her. She thinks you're a freak, but she's just too nice to say anything."**

"Rose," said Lissa. "That was mean. What if I really do like him?"

No one noticed Christians smile at that.

**His face had paled, and something dark churned in his eyes. "But _you _aren't too nice?"**

"**No. Not when I feel sorry for someone."**

"**Enough," said Dimitri, steering me away.**

"Good," said Rhea, glaring at Rose. She really didn't like how Rose was behaving towards her daughter.

"**Thanks for 'helping' then," snapped Christian, his voice dripping with animosity.**

"**No problem," I called back over my shoulder.**

**When we'd gone a little ways, I stole a glance behind me and saw Christian standing just outside the garden. He'd stopped walking and now stood staring down the path that led to Lissa in the courtyard. Shadows covered his face as he thought, and then, after a few moments, he turned around and headed bard the Moroi dorms.**

"Never listen to Rose," said Andre. "She doesn't know what she is saying half of the time."

No one noticed the sad look on Rose's face as he said that. She took a deep breath, and tried to stop the tears forming in her eyes. No one noticed her when she got up from the couch and walked into the small little bathroom. She turned the sink water, and sat down on the bathroom floor. She put her hands on her face, and let silent sobbs rack her body.


	13. Chapter 12

******Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

******Thanks for everyone who has review, view, followed, favored this fanfiction!**

**To the reviewer that told me I "Screwed up" with this fanfiction. Well I've added Mia to this story because she will be adding to the story line that is intertwined with the reading of the books. I personally wanted to have this more interesting then the characters just sitting in the room giving sarcastic options. I'v read a lot of story where the characters read the books wether it is Harry Potter, Twilight, Vampire Academy, and others. Their is a lot of good ones out their but they all have the same start up. I do like some of those, but I also like to keep this story interesting.**

**When I was think about make a character read the books I was going for this story or where the Vampire Academy Crew read their books with Harry Potter. {I personally think that a Rose showdown with Severus/Lucious/Umbridge would be an interesting read or a prank war with the twins/Rose/Sirius. But on the other hand I gave this one a shot.}**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

**Rose's point of view**

Why would Andre, her boyfriend, say that about her? Didn't he realise that this book happened in the future and not now. Some one these things didn't happen yet, and their blaming her. Well, not really blaming her, but she could see it in everyone's eyes.

A light knocking on the door, intrupter her train of thought. She opened up the door to reveil Dimitri. He looked nervous, as he ran his hand through his brown hair. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" I asked.

"No," he said, pausing for a moment. " I want to talk to you."

"Okay," I said, moving further into the room. I sat down on thr floor next to the sink. He came into the bathroom, closed the door behind him. His brown eyes looked into my brown eyes, before sitting down by the door.

"I seen how hurt you were when Andre say what he did," said Dimitri. "I figured that you needed someone to talk with."

"Thanks," I said. "It seems that none of them realise that this book is from the future, and that they should stop trying to blam me for something that my future self did."

"Maybe that their so into the bok that they realise that their not doing it," said Dimitri. "Just remind them every once in a while."

"Thanks." I told him. "I really need someone to talk with."

"Anytime, Rose," said Dimitri. "And if you ever need someone to talk with just come to me. I'm your friend, I think."

"You are," I said, with a smile on my face.

"Okay," said Dimitri, "let's get out of this cramped bathroom."

"Okay," I said, standing up from the floor at the same time as Dimitri did.

We both walked out of the bathroom. The others were in a dissusction, not noticing that Dimitri and I were in the bathroom together.

"Okay," I said, trying to sound cheery. "Who will read next?"

"I will," said Eric.

**Sleep came reluctantly that night,** **and I tossed and turned for a long time before finally going under.**

"Oh, no," I said. "Not my beauty sleep. I can't get less then ten hours."

"Rose," said Lissa. "You only sleep for eight."

I smiled, "Unless I sleep in class."

"I don't see a difference," said Christian. "Rose is still ugly, no matter how much beauty sleep she gets."

I did the mature things and stuck my toung out.

**An hour or so later, I sat up in bed, trying to relax and sort out the emotions coming to me. **

"Good," I said. "It sounds somethings happening."

"How is that a good thing?" asked Rhea, with a confused look on her face.

"It means that the my extra sleep time went for something important," I said, with a smile on my face.

**Lissa. Scared and upset.** **Unstable. The night's events suddenly came rushing back to me as I went through what could be bothering her.**

"Everything," said Lissa, glaring at me.

**The queen humiliating her. Mia. Maybe even Christian – he could have found her for all I knew.**

"He would bother me," said Lissa, who started blushing.

**Yet … none of those was the problem right now. Buried within her, there was something else. Something terribly wrong.**

"I think that it has something to do with spirit," said Abe, rubbing his chin.

**I climbed out of bed, dressed hastily, and considered my options. I had a third-floor room now – way too high to climb down from, particularly since I had no to patch me up this time.**

"You could have healed the normal way," said Mason, with an evil grin on his face. "At the hospital. Your home away from home."

"Shut up," I said, glaring at him. "Maybe you should go stay at the hospital, and see how you like it."

Fine," said Maso, sighing.

**I would never be able to sneak out of the main hall. That only left going through the "appropriate" channels.**

"You should tell someone," said Janine, looking concerned.

"**Where do you think you're going?"**

"On a trip to a farm away land," said Mason, sighing.

**One of the matrons who supervised my hall looked up from her chair. She sat stationed at the end of the hall, near the stairs going down. During the day, that stairwell had loose supervision. **

**At night, we might as well have been in jail. **

"Rose," said Ivan. "If you were in jail, you wouldn't be able to freely talk to anyone. Do anything excep sit in a cell."

"I know," I said.

**I crossed my arms. "I need to see Dim – Guardian Belikov."**

"You two must be close," said Ivan. "Rose almost said his first name."

"No," said Mason. "Rose always calls adult by their first name unless she respects that person."

"**It's late."**

"No shit," I snapped.

"Rose," said mom. "Language."

"**It's an emergency."**

**She looked me up and down. "You seem okay to me."**

"Maybe it's not for her," said Rhea.

"**You're going to be in so much trouble tomorrow when everyone finds out you stopped me from reporting what I know."**

"That should make the woman work faster," said Abe.

"**Tell me."**

"She doesn't need to know." Lissa huffed, while crossing her arms.

"**It's private guardian stuff."**

**I gave her as hard a stare as I could manage.**

"That's going to work," said Mason. "She has that stare down pact."

**It must have worked, because she finally stood up and pulled out a cell phone. She called someone – Dimitri, I hoped – but murmured too low for me to hear. We waited several minutes, and then the door leading to the stairs opened. Dimitri appeared, fully dressed and alert, though I felt pretty sure we'd pulled him out of bed.**

"I probably just did," said Dimitri.

**He took one look at me. "Lissa."**

"Who else would it be?" Christian questioned. "A ghost."

**I nodded.**

"Always so protective of me," said Lissa.

"I always will be," I said, smiling.

**Without another word, he turned around and started back down the stairs. I followed. We walked across the quad in silence, toward the imposing Moroi dorm. It was "night" for the vampires, which meant it was daytime for the rest of the world.**

"I love the sun," I muttered, thinking that nobody was hearing me.

**Mid-afternoon sun shone with a cold, golden light on us. The human genes in me welcomed it and always sort of regretted how Moroi light sensitivity forced us to live in darkness most of the time.**

**Lissa's hall matron gaped when we appeared, but Dimitri was too intimidating to oppose. "She's in the bathroom," I told them. When the matron started to follow me inside, I wouldn't let her. "She's too upset. Let me talk to her alone first."**

"That can be a good thing and a bad thing," said Rhea.

**Dimitri considered. "Yes. Give them a minute."**

**I pushed the door open. **"**Liss?"**

**A soft sound, like a sob came from within. I walked down five stalls and found the only one closed. I knocked softly.**

"**Let me in," I said, hoping I sounded calm and strong.**

"You probably did," said Lissa.

**I heard a sniffle, and a few moments later, the door unlatched. I wasn't prepared for what I saw.** **Lissa stood before me…**… **covered in blood.**

"Oh, god," said Rhea, looking over at her daughter.

**Horrified, I squelched a scream and almost called for help.**

"You should have, said Janine, glaring at me.

**Looking more closely, I saw that a lot of the blood wasn't actually coming from her. It was smeared on her, like it had been on her hands and she'd rubbed her face. She sank to the floor, and I followed, kneeling before her.**

"**Are you okay?" I whispered. "What happened?"**

"I think we all want to know that," said Andre, darkly.

**She only shook her head, but I saw her face crumple as more tears spilled from her eyes. I took her hands. **"**Come on. Let's get you cleaned – "**

**I stopped.**

"Why did you stop?" asked Rhea.

"I don't know," I said. "After all this is the future."

**She ****_was _****bleeding after all.**

"Oh god," said Rhea, hugging her teenaged daughter. I couldn't look at them as seeing I was battleing my jealousy.

**Perfect lines crossed her wrists, not near any crucial veins, but enough to leave wet, red tracks across her skin. She hadn't hit her veins when she did this; death hadn't been her goal. She met my eyes.**

"Cutting youself will never get you nowhere," said Eric, looking stern.

"**I'm sorry …. I didn't mean … Please don't let them know…" she sobbed. "When I saw **_**it, **_**I freaked out."**

"it must be something bad for me to freak out," amitted Lissa, who was sitting next to her mother.

**She nodded towards her wrists. "This just happened before I could stop. I was upset…"**

"**It's okay," I said automatically, wondering what "it" was. "Come on."**

"You should have told someone, Rose," said Janine.

I slinked lower into my seat. Once again she was concerned with the Moroi then her own daughter. I must be invisable.

**I heard a knock at the door. "Rose?"**

"About time," said Andre.

"**Just a sec," I called back.**

"My future self should have went in their," said Dimitri.

**I took her to the sink and rinsed the blood off her wrists. Grabbing the first-aid kit, I hastily put some Band-Aids on the cuts. The bleeding had already slowed.**

"At least you did something right," said Rhea. It made me even more guilty.

"**We're coming in," the matron called.**

"About time," said Ivan.

**I jerked off my hoodie sweatshirt and quickly handed it to Lissa. She had just pulled it on when Dimitri and the matron entered. He raced to our sided in an instant, and I realized that in hiding Lissa's wrists, I'd forgotten the blood on her face.**

"I'm going to think that she's injured," said Dimitri, running a hand through his brown hair.

"**It's not mine," she said quickly, seeing his expression. "It… it's the rabbit …"**

"What!" yelled everyone in the room.

"Why would a bleeding rabbit would be in the bathroom?" asked Rhea.

"Maybe it's the same person as the fox," said Abe.

"Possiblity," said Alberta.

**Dimitri assessed her, and I hoped he wouldn't look at her wrists. **

"You should have told him, Rose," said Rhea. "Her wonds could have gotten infected."

"Sorry," I said, to noone in particular.

**When he seemed satisfied she had no gaping wounds, he asked, "What rabbit?" I was wondering the same thing.**

"I think we all were," said Christian. For once he was not sarcastic.

**With shaking hands, she pointed at the trash can. "I cleaned it up. So Natalie wouldn't see."**

"You should have been worried about her," said Alberta, who I forgot who was their. "You should have worry about yourselve."

**Dimitri and I both walked over and peered into the can. I pulled myself away immediately, swallowing back my stomach's need to throw up. I don't know how Lissa knew it was a rabbit. All I could see was blood. Blood and blood-soaked paper towels. Globs of gore I couldn't identify.**

**The smell was horrible.**

"I wished you didn't have to describe it, said Lissa, who was looking a little green.

**Dimitri shifted closer to Lissa, bending down until they were at eye level. "Tell me what happened." He handed her several tissues.**

"How nice," said Rhea.

"**I came back about an hour ago. And it was there. Right there in the middle of the floor. Torn apart. It was like it had … exploded." She sniffed.**

"Horrible," said Mia. Who has been mainly quite for this chapter.

"**I didn't want Natalie to find it, didn't want to scare her … so I – I cleaned it up. Then I just couldn't … I couldn't go back …" She began to cry, and her shoulders shook.**

"She's in shock," said Janine.

**I could figure out the rest, the part she didn't tell Dimitri. She'd found the rabbit, cleaned up, and freaked out. Then she'd cut herself, but it was the weird way she coped with things that upset her.**

"That is not a good way to cope," said Mason.

"**No one should be able to get into those rooms!" exclaimed the matron. "How is this happening?"**

"Someone who has acess to the room," I said, making all of the adults look at me.

"True," said Abe. "It's probably an insides job."

"**Do you know who did it?" Dimitri's voice was gentle.**

"Probably not," said Lissa. "I probably jusy found it."

**Lissa reached into her pajama pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It had so much blood soaked into it, I could barely read it as he held it and smoothed it out.**

"This can't be good," said Christian.

_**I know what you are. You won't survive being here. I'll make sure of it. Leave now. It's the only way you might live through this.**_

"What!" shouted everyone in this room.

"Now someone is threathing a minor," said Alberta.

"This can't be good," said Rhea.

"They will find out who did it," said Eric, as he was trying to calm down his stress wife.

**The matron's shock transformed into something more determined, and she headed for the door. "I'm getting Ellen." It took me a second to remember that was Kirova's first name.**

"Of coarse you would know her first name," said Mason, with a found smile on his face.

"**Tell her we'll be at the clinic," said Dimitri. When she left, he turned to Lissa. "You should lie down."**

**When she didn't move, I linked my arm through hers. "Come on, Liss. Let's you out of here."**

**Slowly, she put one foot in front of the other and let us lead her to the Academy's medical clinic. It was normally staffed by a couple of doctors, but at this time of night, only a nurse stayed on duty. She offered to wake one of the doctors, but Dimitri declined. "She just needs to rest."**

"That's right," said Rhea. "A good night sleep would help you dear."

**Lissa had no sooner stretched out on a narrow bed than Kirova and a few others showed up and started questioning her. **

"They should wait until the next day," said Janine.

**I thrust myself in front of them, blocking her. "Leave her alone! Can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it? Let her get some sleep first!"**

"Rose is right," said Janine.

She just shocked the shit out of me.

"**Miss. Hathaway," declared Kirova, "you're out of line as usual. I don't even know what you're doing here."**

"That was harsh," said Ivan, shakink his head.

That's just the way she is," said Mason.

**Dimitri asked if he could speak with her privately and led her into the hall. I heard angry whispers from her, calm and firm ones from him. When they returned, she said stiffly, "You may stay with her for a little while. We'll have janitors do further cleaning and investigation in the bathroom and your room, Miss Dragomir, and then discuss the situation in detail in the morning."**

"That's better," said Rhea.

"**Don't wake Natalie," whispered Lissa. "I don't want to scare her. I cleaned up everything in the room anyway."**

"I have a feeling that this Natalie person has something to do with it," said Ivan.

**Kirova looked doubtful. The group retreated but not before the nurse asked if Lissa wanted anything to eat or drink. She declined. Once we were alone, I lay down beside her and put my arm around her.**

"Right there is a great friendship," said Ivan.

"**I won't let them find out," I told her, sensing her worry about her wrists.**

"You should," said Rhea. "She needs the help."

"**But I wish you'd told me before I left the reception. You'd said you'd always come to me first."**

"Whould you have stopped her?" asked Andre, his green eyes were hard.

"Yeah, I would have," I said.

"**I wasn't going to do it then," she said, her eyes staring blankly off. "I swear, I wasn't going to. I mean, I was upset … but I thought … I thought I could handle it. I was trying so hard … really, Rose. I was. But then I got back to my room, and I saw **_**it, **_**and I … just lost it. It was like the last straw, you know? And I knew I had to clean it up. Had to clean it up before they saw, before they found out, but there was so much blood … and afterward, after it was done, it was too much, and I felt like I was going to … I don't know … explode, and it was just too much, I had to let it out, you know? I had to –"**

**I interrupted her hysteria. "It's okay, I understand."**

**That was a lie.**

"Rose," winned Lissa, "it's bad to lie."

"I'm sorry," I said to her. "I didn't even know what was going on at the time either."

"It's okay," said Lissa, smiling.

**I didn't get her cutting at all. She'd done it sporadically, ever since the accident, and it scared me each time.**

"I'm sorry, Rose," said Lissa.

"Don't appologize," I said to her. "It's fine."

**She'd try to explain it to me, how she didn't want to die – she just needed to get ****_it _****out somehow. She felt so much emotionally, she would say, that a physical outlet – physical pain – was the only way to make the internal pain go away. It was the only way she could control it. **

"Their probably is another way," said Rhea. "Something that's safer."

"**Why is this happening?" she cried into her pillow. "Why am I a freak?"**

"You're not a freak," said Christian.

"**You aren't a freak."**

"Great," said Christain, who look disgusted. "I'm starting to think like Rose."

"Hey," I said, offended.

"**No one else has this happen to them. No one else does magic like I can."**

"Their probably is some people in the world that can do the same type of magic," said Ivan, thoughtfully.

"**Did you try to do magic?" No answer. "Liss? Did you try to heal the rabbit?"**

"Good question," said Mia.

"**I reached out, just to see if I could maybe fix it, but there was just too much blood…. I couldn't."**

**_The more she uses it, the worse it'll get. Stop her, Rose._**

"Who said that?" questioned Mia.

Noone answered her.

**Lissa was right. Moroi magic could conjure fire and water, move rocks and other pieces of earth. But no one could heal and bring animals back from the dead. No one except Ms. Karp.**

"Oh," said Mia.

_**Stop her before they notice, before they notice and take her away too. Get her out of here.**_

"I think that she is trying to give you guys a warning," said Mason, thoughtfully.

**I hated carrying this secret, mostly because I didn't know what to do about it. I didn't like feeling powerless.**

"Most dhampir's don't," said Alberta, softly.

**I needed to protect her from this – and from herself. And yet, at the same time, I needed to protect her from ****_them _****too.**

"It seems that there is too much pressure on your shoulders," said Rhea.

"I can handle it," I said, thruthfully.

"**We should go," I said abruptly. "We're going to leave."**

"**Rose –"**

"**It's happening again. And it's worse. Worse than last time."**

"What happened last time?" questioned Andre.

"**You're afraid of the note."**

"She is," said Mason.

"She is right here," I said. "And I not afraid of that note."

"It doesn't seem like it to me," he responded back.

I just sighed in annoyance.

"**I'm not afraid of any note. But this place isn't safe." I suddenly longed for Portland again.**

"You probably just want some freedom," said Mia.

"Maybe," I said.

**It might be dirtier and more crowded than the rugged Montana landscape, but at least you knew what to expect – not like here. Here at the Academy, past and present warred with each other. It might have its beautiful old walls and gardens, but inside, modern things were creeping in. people didn't know how to handle that. It was just like the Moroi themselves. Their archaic royal families still held the power on the surface, but people were growing discontent. **

**Dhampirs who wanted more to their lives. Moroi like Christian who wanted to fight the Strigoi. The royals still clung to their traditions, still touted their power over everyone else, just as the Academy's elaborate iron gates put on a show of tradition and invincibility.**

"Rose does have a point," said Ivan, with a frown on his face. "The world is changing and we seemed to be stuck in the past. Something should be done about it."

"I agree," said Lissa.

**And, oh, the lies and secrets. They ran through the halls and hid in the corners. Someone here hated Lissa, someone who was probably smiling right to her face and pretending to be her friend.**

**I couldn't let them destroy her. **

"No," said Lissa. "You would destroy them first."

"**You need to get some sleep," I told her.**

"**I can't sleep."**

"I wouldn't be able to either if something like that happened to me," said Mia.

"**Yes, you can. I'm right here. You won't be alone."**

"Such a good thing to do," said Rhea.

**Anxiety and fear and other troubled emotions coursed through her. But in the end, her body's needs won out. After a while, I saw her eyes close. Her breathing became even, and the bond grew quiet.**

**I watched her sleep,**

"Creepy," said Andre.

**too keyed up with adrenaline to allow myself any rest. I think maybe an hour had passed when the nurse returned and told me I had to leave.**

"Rose wouldn't like that," said Mason.

"I probably will try and find a way around it," I said.

"**I can't go," I said. "I promised her she wouldn't be alone."**

**The nurse was tall, even for a Moroi, with kind brown eyes. "She won't be. I'll stay with her."**

**I regarded her sceptically.**

"You would of," said Lissa, with a small smile on her face.

"**I promise."**

"She probably would have kept her word," said Alberta.

**Back in my room, I had my own crash. The fear and excitement had worn me out too, and for an instant, I wished I could have a normal life and a normal best friend.**

"Is that something you actually wish for," said Lissa, who looked hurt.

"Never, Lissa," I said.

**Immediately, I cast that thought out. No one was normal, not really. And I'd never have a better friend than Lissa …**

"See," I told her.

**but, man, it was so hard sometimes.**

"Friendship takes work," said Ivan.

**I slept heavily until morning.**

"Of coarse you would," said Mason, who rolled his eyes.

**I went to my first class tentatively, nervous that word about last night had gotten around. As it turned out, people ****_were_**** talking about last night, but their attention was still focused on the queen and the reception.**

"It's a good thing that noone knew about the rabbit," said Andre. "That would be social suciciude."

**They knew nothing about the rabbit. As hard as it was to believe, I'd nearly forgotten about the other stuff. Still, it suddenly seemed like a small thing compared to someone causing a bloody explosion in Lissa's room. **

**Yet, as the day went on, I noticed something weird. People stopped looking at Lissa so much. They started looking at ****_me._**

"Why would they be staring at me?" I asked to noone in particualr.

"Maybe to see if you have gotten any uglier," said Mia.

"Funny," I said, sarcastically. "When was the last time you looked in the mirrior?"

"Girls," said Alberta. "Enough!"

**Whatever. Ignoring them, I hunted around and found Lissa finishing up with a feeder. That funny feeling I always got came over me as I watched her mouth work against the feeder's neck, drinking his blood.**

"Why would you want to watch something like that," said Mia, scrunching up her nose.

I ignored her.

**A trickle of it ran down his throat, standing out against his pale skin. Feeders, though human, were nearly as pale as Moroi from all the blood loss. He didn't seem to notice; he was long gone on the high of the bite. Drowning in jealousy, I decided I needed therapy.**

"Glad you figured that out," said Mia, with a smile on her face.

"Yoy do to," I shot back at her.

"**You okay?" I asked her later, on our way to class. She wore long sleeves, purposefully obscuring her wrists.**

"**Yeah… I still can't stop thinking about that rabbit…. It was so horrible. I keep seeing it in my head. And then what I did." She squeezed her eyes shut, just for a moment, and then opened them again. "People are talking about us."**

"**I know. Ignore them."**

"**I **_**hate **_**it," she said angrily. A surge of darkness shot up into her and through the bond. It made me cringe. My best friend was lighthearted and kind. She didn't have feelings like that. "I hate all the gossip. It's so stupid. How can they all be so shallow?"**

"A lot of people are just born that way," said Ivan, absentmindedly.

"**Ignore them," I repeated soothingly. "You were smart not to hang out with them anymore."**

**Ignoring them grew harder and harder, though.**

"I think that there is other gossip going around," said Andre, with a frown on his face.

**The whispers and looks increased. In animal behaviour, it became so bad, I couldn't even concentrate on my now-favourite subject.**

Lissa looked shocked. "I thought that you said you would never like a subject in school?"

"I guess times change," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

**Ms. Meissner had started talking about evolution and survival of the fittest and how animals sought mates with good genes. It fascinated me, but even she had a hard time staying on task, since she had to keep yelling at people to quiet down and pay attention.**

"Kids," said Rhea, with a shake of her head. "Never listening to the teacher."

"**Something's going on," I told Lissa between classes. "I don't know what, but they're all over something new."**

"It took you long to figure that out," said Mia.

"I have a feeling it was something that you did, Mia," I said, glaring at her.

"**Something else? Other than the queen hating me? What more could there be?"**

"Anything is possible," said Ivan.

"**Wish I knew."**

"Maybe I don't," I muttered to myself.

**Things finally came to a head in our last class of the day, Slavic art. It started when a guy I barely knew made a very explicit and nearly obscene suggestion to me while we all worked on individual projects.**

**I replied in kind, letting him know exactly what he could do with his request.**

**He only laughed. "Come on, Rose. I ****_bleed _****for you."**

"I think you should fine out," said Andre, who's eyes grew hard.

**Loud giggles ensued, and Mia cut us a taunting look.**

"I knew it," I said.

"**Wait, it's Rose who does the bleeding, right?"**

"Low blow," said Ivan, shaking his head.

**More laughter. Understanding slapped me in the face. I jerked Lissa away. "They know."**

"**Know what?"**

"**About us. About how you … you know, how I fed you while we were gone."**

"That surely can cause gossip," said Ivan. "But their might be something else going on."

**She gaped. "How?"**

"**How do you think? Your 'friend' Christian."**

"I would have never told anyone," said Christian. "Besides who would listen to me anyways."

I frown, thinking that he was right.

"**No," she said adamantly. "He wouldn't have."**

"**Who else knew?"**

"Mia," I muttered, bittertly.

**Faith in Christian flashed in her eyes and in our bond. But she didn't know what I knew. She didn't know how I'd bitched him out last night, how I'd made him think she hated him.**

**The guy was unstable. Spreading our biggest secret – well, one of them – would be an adequate revenge. Maybe he'd killed the rabbit too. After all, it had died only a couple hours after I'd told him off.**

**Not waiting around to hear her protests, I stalked off to the other side of the room where Christian was working by himself, as usual.**

"Something is going to happen," said Lissa, who was looking worried. She kept looking between me and Christian.

**Lissa followed in my wake. Not caring if people saw us, I leaned across the table toward him, putting my face inches from his.**

"It looks like you two were about to kiss," said Mia, casually.

Ill," I said, disqusted.

"No way," said Christian, who looked equally disqusted.

"**I'm going to kill you."**

**His eyes darted to Lissa, the faintest glimmer of longing in them, and then a scowl spread over his face. "Why? Is it like guardian extra credit?"**

"**Stop with the attitude," I warned, pitching my voice low. "You told. You told how Lissa had to feed off me."**

"**Tell her," said Lissa desperately. "Tell her she's wrong."**

**Christian dragged his eyes from me to her, and as they regarded each other, I felt such a powerful wave of attraction, it was a wonder it didn't knock me over. Her heart was in her eyes. It was obvious to me he felt the same way about her, but she couldn't see it, particularly since he was still glaring at her.**

"Young love," I said.

"**You can stop it, you know," he said. "You don't have to pretend anymore."**

"I bet I was confused," said Lissa.

I looked away guilty.

**Lissa's giddy attraction vanished, replaced by hurt and shock over his tone. "I … what? Pretend what?..."**

"**You **_**know **_**what. Just stop. Stop with the act."**

**Lissa stared at him, her eyes wide and wounded. She had no clue I'd gone off on him last night. She had no clue that he believed she hated him.**

"**Get over feeling sorry for yourself, and tell us what's going on," I snapped at him. "Did you or didn't you tell them?"**

**He fixed me with a defiant look. "No. I didn't."**

"I think my cousin might have said something," said Ivan, who was scowling.

"**I don't believe you."**

"**I do," said Lissa.**

"**I know it's impossible to believe a **_**freak **_**like me could keep his mouth shut – especially since neither of you can – but I have better things to do than spread stupid rumors. You want someone to blame? Blame your golden boy over there."**

"Your not a freak," said Lissa.

"I know," said Christian, with a smile on his face. "That's Rose's job discreption."

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

**I followed his gaze to where Jesse was laughing about something with that idiot Ralf.**

"**Jesse doesn't know," said Lissa defiantly.**

"He does," I said, angry.

**Christian's eyes were glued to me. "He ****_does, _****though. Doesn't he, Rose? He knows."**

"How were you able to figure it out before we did?" I asked.

"When you have no friends your more observent," said Christian, with a frown on his face.

**My stomach sank out of me. Yes, Jesse did know. He'd figured it out that night in the lounge. "I didn't think … I didn't think he'd tell. He was too afraid of Dimitri."**

"**You **_**told **_**him?" exclaimed Lissa.**

"**No, he guessed." I was starting to feel sick.**

Lissa shot me a worried look. I just shook my head at her.

"**He apparently did more than guess," muttered Christian.**

**I turned on him. "What's that supposed to mean?"**

"**Oh. You don't know."**

"**I swear to God, Christian, I'm going to break your neck after class."**

"Rose," said Ivan. "I think your the queen of threats."

I smiled, "I don't threaten people, I just make promises."

Christian snorted. "To do bodily harm."

"Damn straight," I said, enthusicasstically.

"**Man, you really are unstable." **

"Hey, I'm not unstable," I said.

"It doesn't seem like it," said Mia.

**He said it almost happily, but his next words were more serious. He still wore that sneer, still glowed with anger, but when he spoke, I could hear the faintness uneasiness in his voice.**

"**He sort of elaborated on what was in your note. Got into a little more detail."**

"He;s probably thinking that I had sex with him," I said, like it was no big deal.

"**Oh, I get it. He said we had sex."**

**I didn't need to mince words. Christian nodded. So. Jesse was trying to boost his own reputation. Okay. That I could deal with. Not like my reputation was that stellar to begin with. Everyone already believed I had sex all the time.**

"Especally since your a virgin," said Lissa.

"I know," I muttered, truning a shade of red.

Mason looked shocked for a moment. He was in the room when we read the first chapter. "You're a virgin?"

"Yes," I said.

"**And uh, Ralf too. That you and he –"**

**Ralf? No amount of alcohol or any illegal substance would make me touch him. "I – what? That I had sex with Ralf too?"**

"Ill," I said, shuddering.

**Christian nodded.**

"**That asshole! I'm going to –"**

"**There's more."**

"What else could their possible be?" asked Andre, with a hard tone.

Noone answered him.

"**How? Did I sleep with the basketball team?"**

" 's doesn't have a basketball team," said Ivan.

"No shit," I said. "None of the academes do."

"**He said – they both said – you let them … well, you let them drink your blood."**

"Rose would never do something like that," said Lissa.

**That stopped even me. Drinking blood during sex. The dirtiest of the dirty. Sleazy. Beyond being easy or a slut. A gazillion times worse than Lissa drinking from me for survival. Blood-whore territory.**

"**That's crazy!" Lissa cried. "Rose would never – Rose?"**

**But I wasn't listening anymore. I was in my own world, a world that took me across the classroom to where Jesse and Ralf sat. They both looked up, faces half smug and half … nervous, if I had to guess. Not unexpected, since they were both lying through their teeth.**

"I bet that you wished to punch them," said Mason.

"I know," I said, whinning. "But I don't think that I will be able to."

**The entire class came to a standstill. Apparently they'd been expecting some type of showdown. My unstable reputation in action.**

"You just probably will threaten him," said Lissa, who was looking worried.

"**What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked in a low, dangerous voice.**

"I would deffently be scared of her," said Ivan.

**Jesse's nervous look turned to one of terror. He might have been taller than me, but we both knew who would win if I turned violent. Ralf, however, gave me a cocky smile.**

"**We didn't do anything you didn't want us to do." His smile turned cruel. "And don't even think about laying a hand on us. You start a fight, and Kirova'll kick you out to go live with the other blood whores."**

"That would of deffently of stopped me from hitting him," I said, with a frown on my face.

**The rest of the students were holding their breaths, waiting to see what we'd do. I don't know how Mr. Nagy could have been oblivious to the drama occurring in his class.**

"He must have a hard time hearing," said Andre.

"Or he was reading a magazine," said Mason, who wiggled his eye brows at me.

I rolled my eyes at both of them.

**I wanted to punch both of them, hit them so hard that it'd make Dimitri's brawl with Jesse look like a pat on the back. I wanted to wipe that smirk off Ralf's asshole or not, he was right.**

**If I touched them, Kirova would expel me in the blink of an eye. And if I got kicked out, Lissa would be alone.**

**Taking a deep breath, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life.**

**I walked away.**

"What!" exclaimed Janine. She looked at me with shock in her eyes.

"I do have some selfcontrol," I said.

Not all the time," muttered Mason.

I glared at him.

**The rest of the day was miserable. In backing down from the fight, I opened myself up to mockery from everyone else. The rumors and whispers grew louder. People stared at me openly. People laughed.** **Lissa kept trying to talk to me, to console me, but I ignored even her. I went through the rest of my classes like a zombie, and then I headed off to practice with Dimitri as fast I could. He gave me a puzzled look but didn't ask any questions.**

"News travels fast," said Alberta. "Even to the guardians."

"I know," I said, with a shake of my head.

**Alone in my room later on, I cried for the first time in years.**

I looked down on my lap. I didn't want anyone to know that. It made me seem weak.

"Can you please read, Mr. Dragomir?" I asked, uncomfortable.

**Once I got that out my system, I was about to put on my pajamas when I heard a knock at my door. Dimitri. He studied my face and then glanced away, obviously aware I'd been crying.**

"Anyone could tell," said Mason.

"Why would Dimitri go to your room?" asked Abe, with a raise of his eyebrow.

**I could tell, too, that the rumors had finally reached him. He knew.**

"Anyone would," said Mason.

"**Are you okay?"**

"Does it look like she is okay?" asked Lissa, sarcastically.

"Lissa," I said, whinning.

"**It doesn't matter if I am, remember?" I looked up at him. "Is Lissa okay? This'll be hard on her."**

"Rose, I can handle my self," said Lissa. I gave her a look, annd she sighed, "fine, I can handle myself most of the time."

**A funny look crossed his face.**

"I was probably shocked that you care more about Lissa reaction to the rumor," ammited Dimitri.

**I think it astonished him that I'd be still worried about her at a time like this.**

**He beckoned me to follow and led me out to a back stairwell, one that usually stayed locked to students. But it was open tonight, and he gestured me outside. "Five minutes," he warned.**

"So your breaking her out of her bedroom punishment," said Alberta.

"She needed it," said Abe, defending him.

**More curious than ever, I stepped outside. Lissa stood there.**

"I think my futur self had something to do with it," said Lissa.

**I should have sensed she was close, but my own out-of-control feelings had obscured hers. Without a word, she put her arms around me and held me for several moments. I had to hold back more tears. When we broke apart, she looked at me with calm, level eyes.**

"That's a great friendship," whispered Mia, who had a tint of jealousy in her voice.

"**I'm sorry," she said.**

"**Not your fault. It'll pass."**

**She clearly doubted that. So did I.**

"**It **_**is **_**my fault," she said. "She did it to get back at me."**

"I think you talking about me," said Mia, who groaned.

"**She?"**

"**Mia. Jesse and Ralf aren't smart enough to think of something like that on their own. You said it yourself: Jesse was too scared of Dimitri to talk much about what happened. And why wait until now? It happened a while ago. If he'd wanted to spread stuff around, he would have done it back then. Mia's doing this as retaliation for you talking about her parents. I don't know how she managed it, but she's the one who got them to say those things."**

"Your right," said Andre to his sister. He then glared at Mia. "That's a very low blow."

**In my gut, I realized Lissa was right. Jesse and Ralf were tools; Mia had been the mastermind.**

"**Nothing to be done now," I sighed.**

It sounds like your giving up," said Lissa.

"I probably was," I admitted.

"**Rose – "**

"**Forget it, Liss. It's done, okay?"**

**She studied me quietly for a few seconds. "I haven't seen you cry in a long time."**

"**I wasn't crying."**

"Yeah," said Lissa. "And pig fly."

**A feeling of heartache and sympathy beat through to me from the bond.**

"**She can't do this to you," she argued.**

"She already did," said Mason.

**I laughed bitterly, half surprised at my own hopelessness. "She already did. She said she'd get back at me, that I wouldn't be able to protect you. She did it. When I go back to classes …" A sickening feeling settled in my stomach.**

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Janine trying to keep Abe in his seat.

**I thought about the friends and respect I'd managed to eke out, despite our low profile. That would be gone. You couldn't come back from something like this.**

"Never say never," said Mason.

**Not among the Moroi. Once a blood whore, always a blood whore. What made it worse was that some dark, secret part of me did like being bitten.**

"**You shouldn't have to keep protecting me," she said.**

"It's in my blood," I said.

**I laughed. "That's my job. I'm going to be your guardian."**

"**I know, but I meant like this. You shouldn't suffer because of me. You shouldn't always have to look after me. And yet you always do.** **You got me out of here. You took care of everything when we were on our own. Even since coming back … you've always been the one who does all the work. Everytime I break down – like last night – you're always there. Me, I'm **_**weak. **_**I'm not like you."**

Your not weak," I said. "People who are weak dont admit it."

**I shook me head. "That doesn't matter. It's what I do. I don't mind."**

"**Yeah, but look what happened. I'm the one she really has a grudge against – even though I still don't know why. Whatever. It's going to stop I'm going to protect **_**you **_**from now on."**

"That is certantly a twist in events," said Rhea, surprised.

**There was a determination in her expression, a wonderful confidence radiating off of her that reminded me of the Lissa I'd known before the accident. At the same time, I could feel something else in her – something darker, a sense of deeply buried anger.**

"Maybe it has something to do with her power," said Abe.

**I'd seen this side of her before too, and I didn't like it. I didn't want her tapping into it. I just wanted her to be safe. **

"**Lissa, you can't protect me."**

"That's not going to stop me, Rose," said Lissa.

"**I can," she said fiercely. "There's one thing Mia wants more than to destroy you and me. She wants to be accepted. She wants to hang out with the royals and feel like she's one of them. I can take that away from her." She smiled. "I can turn them against her."**

"How can you do that?" asked Ivan.

"I don't know," said Lissa.

"**How?"**

"i think we're going to find out," said Mason.

"**By **_**telling **_**them." Her eyes flashed.**

"Are you going to use compulison on them?" asked Eric, with a raised eyebrow.

**My mind was moving too slowly tonight. It took me a while to catch on. "Liss – no. You can't use compulsion. Not around here."**

"Lissa," said Rhea. "Your not supposed to use compulsion."

"I know," said Lissa, with a sigh.

"**I might as well get some use out of these stupid powers."**

"Powers arent stupid," said Christian. "Anything can happen."

"I wish their was a way to turn you into a toad," I told Christian.

"Very funny," Rose.

_**The more she uses it, the worse it'll get. Stop her, Rose. Stop her before they notice, before they notice and take her away too. Get her out of here.**_

"I hope we find out who is telling her that," said Alberta.

"**Liss, if you get caught – "**

"You might as well be caught," said Janine.

**Dimitri stuck his head out. "You've got to get back inside, Rose, before someone finds you."**

"It was a good thing that I didn't hear what you were talking about," said Dimitri.

**I shot a panicked look at Lissa, but she was already retreating. "I'll take care of everything this time, Rose. **_**Everything."**_

"Thatis the end of the chapter," said Eric, who put the book down on the coffee table.

"I think that we should go out to eat for supper," said Abe. "All of us that are in this room."


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of there respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks for everyone who has, view, review, followed, favored this store!** **Here is the next chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen **

**Third person point of view**

Since the gang wanted to go out and eat, but they weren't allowed to as seeing their was a storm about to hit, they decided that the cafe would make them a very special diner. Since they were going to eat in the same room that they have been reading in, they decided to read until the food came.

Abe grabbed the book, and flipped to the next chapter. He smirked at his daughter, before he started to read this chapter.

**The aftermath of Jesse and Ralf's lies were about as horrible as I'd expected.**

Rose shook her head. "I should have know that they were going to be worse then what they usually are." She had a frown on her face.

Abe didn't like seeing his daughter this way. So he said, "It will be over as soon as something bigger news comes out."

Rose frowned, "It doesn't mean that I have to like it."

**The only way I survived was by putting blinders on, by ignoring everyone and everything.**

Christian looked shocked, "I never thought that you would be able to handle something like that without telling people where they can shove it."

"Hey," said Rose, with a fake hurt look on her face. "I can be mature!"

"Of course you can," said Christian, mockingly. "When pigs fly."

Rose glared at him.

**It kept me sane – barely – but I hated it. I felt like crying all the time.**

"Oh, Rose," said Lissa, who sighed sadly. Her jade green eyes were looking at her friend carefully, to see if the news of the future would cause her some problems now. She relaxed when she seen nothing.

**I lost my appetite and didn't sleep well.**

"Now there is something to be worried about," said Lissa, who looked at Rose. But Rose was looking down at her lap, and chipping the remaining fingernail polish off.

**Yet, no matter how bad it got for me, I didn't worry about myself as much as I did Lissa.**

Lissa crossed her arms, "Rose, you should worry about yourself also."

"But, Lissa..."

Rose started to say, until Lissa cut her off. "I know what your going to say, Rose, so don't even argue with me."

Rose slumped against the back of the couch. She muttered, a quick, "fine."

**She stood by her promise to change things.**

Lissa scowled, "Of coarse I did."

**It was slow at first, but gradually, I would see a royal or two come up to her at lunch or in class and say hello.**

"At least it didn't happen over night," said Christian, with a shrug of his shoulders.

**She'd turn on a brilliant smile, laughing and talking to them like they were all best friends.**

"Not true best friends," said Andre, smiling at Rose.

Rose, who wasn't paying attention to what was going around her, didn't notice the looks that the adults sent her. Roses' parent, who never really been in her life, were currently wondering if their only child was alright, even if they didn't say anything. Eric and Rhea, saw Rose as another daughter, was surprised of her strength. Abe continued reading the story.

**At first, I didn't understand how she was pulling it off. She'd told me she would use compulsion to win the other royals over and turn them against Mia. **

"Their must be a bigger plan," said Mason.

"Yeah," said Lissa, with a frown on her face. "I know how royal teens act, so I'm probably trying to get into their groups and work from their."

**But I didn't ****_see _****it happening. It was possible, of course, that she was winning people over without compulsion. After all, she was funny, smart, and nice.**

"Awe," said Lissa, with a smile on her face. "Thanks, Rose."

Christian frown, "She forgot the part where you look like an angle."

Lissa blushed, but didn't say anything.

Rose just rolled her eyes at them both.

**Anyone would like her. Something told me she wasn't winning friends the old-fashioned way, and I finally figured it out.**

"Took you long enough," said Mason.

**She was using compulsion when I wasn't around. I only saw her a small part of the day, and since she knew I didn't approve, she only worked her power when I was away.**

"But you still always knew," said Ivan.

**After a few days of this secret compulsion, I knew what I needed to do: I had to get back in her head again.**

"Rose," whined Lissa.

"Sorry," said Rose, shrugging her shoulder with a smirk on her face, "at least it's not all going to be in my point of view."

Lissa scrunched up her nose, "Well since it is the future and not know I guess that's alright."

**By choice. I'd done it before; I could do it again. At least, that's what I told myself, sitting and spacing out in Stan's class one day.**

"When don't you space out in Stan's class?" asked Mason, with a smile on his face.

"Actually you should say when do I listen in Stan's class," said Rose, with a smirk on her face. "The answer to that is never."

"Rose," said Janine, groaning. "You should really pay attention in class."

**But it wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be, partly because I felt too keyed up to relax and open myself to her thoughts. I also had trouble because I picked a time when she felt relatively calm. She came through the "loudest" when her emotions were running strong.**

"That must be hard to find out which emotions are yours and which ones are hers," said Ivan.

Rose shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe in the beginning."

**Still, I tried to do what I'd done before, back when I'd spied on her and Christian. The meditation thing. **

"I'm still shocked that you were able to practice something like that," said Alberta.

"What can I say," said Rose, "I'm full of surprises."

**Slow breathing. Eyes closed. Mental focus wasn't easy for me,**

"I would be very surprised if it was," said Christian. "You don't seem like the person who would be able to do something like that."

**but at long last I managed the transition, slipping into her head and experiencing the world as hers. **

"I wonder how that would feel like," said Andre, "to experience life through someone else's eyes."

"Well," said Abe. "That is something that you could always wonder, but never truly find out."

**She stood in her American lit class, during project-work time, but, like most of the students, she wasn't working. She and Camille Conta leaned against a wall on the far side of the room, talking in hushed voices.**

"Gossiping," said Mia, as her blue eyes sparkled.

"**It's gross," said Camille firmly, a frown crossing her pretty face. She had on a blue skirt made of velvetlike fabric, short enough to show off her long legs and possibly raise eyes about the dress code.**

"I'm surprise someone like you is worried about the dress code," said Andre.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, "Well someone has to."

"**If you guys were doing it, I'm not surprised she got addicted and did it with Jesse."**

Rose didn't even bother to look around her. She was so ashamed of her future self to a point. But on the other hand, she did save Lissa life while they were on the run.

"**She **_**didn't **_**do it with Jesse," insisted Lissa. "And it's not like we had **_**sex.**_

"Gross," said Lissa and Rose at the same time. They are best friends, and are like sisters, and other feelings just didn't feel right with them.

**We just didn't have any feeders, that's all."**

"Ture," said Mason, "and it's not like you are going to make a scene and randomly pick someone to drink blood from all day."

**Lissa focused her full attention on Camille and smiled. "It's no big deal. Everyone's overreacting."**

"Everyone is more than overreacting," said Andre.

"What do you expect?" stated Rhea. "Their teenagers who live for gossip, even if it is the truth or not."

**Camille looked like she seriously doubted this, and then, the more she stared at Lissa, the more unfocused her eyes became. A blank look fell over her.**

"That is some powerful compulsion," said Abe, impressed.

"**Right?" asked Lissa, voice like silk. "It's not a big deal."**

**The frown returned. Camille tried to shake the compulsion.**

"She must have not been that resistant," saidChristian.

**The fact that it'd ever gotten this far was incredible. As Christian had observed, using it on Moroi was unheard of. **

"Unless if you have this new power," said Janine, mumbling underneath her breath. She hated people who used compulsion with a passion.

**Camille, although strong-willed, lost the battle. "Yeah," she said slowly. "It's really not that big a deal."**

"**And Jesse's lying."**

**She nodded. "Definitely lying."**

"That seems easy," said Ivan. "Why didn'tyou just go around, using compulsion, to tell everyone that Jesse is lying."

Lissa rolled her jade green eyes. "So more people can spread the news, also it would have been pointed back to me if I just went around to everyone and simple told them. Now would it?"

"Good point," said Ivan.

**A mental strain burned inside of Lissa as she held on to the compulsion. It took a lot of effort, and she wasn't finished. **

Rhea looked outraged,"You shouldn't use it too much, it's going to take a lot out of you."

"**What are you guys doing tonight?"**

"Completely off topic," said Andre.

"**Carly and I are going to study for Math test in her room."**

"**Invite me."**

**Camille thought about it. "Hey, you want to study with us?"**

"**Sure," said Lissa, smiling at her. Camille smiled back.**

"Boring," sang out Rose.

**Lissa dropped the compulsion, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. She felt weak.**

"That is defiantly not good," said Rhea, frowning.

**Camille glanced around, momentarily surprised, then shook off the weirdness. "See you after dinner then."**

"**See you," murmured Lissa, watching her walk away.**

**When Camille was gone, Lissa reached up to tie her hair up in a ponytail. Her fingers couldn't quite get all the hair through, and suddenly, another pair of hands caught hold and helped her.**

**She spun around and found herself staring into Christian's ice-blue eyes. She jerked away from him.**

"Awe," said Rose, in a baby voice. "Itty bitty Crissy knows how to put girls hair into a rubber band? How manly."

"Shut up," said Christian, who glared at Rose. Her pointed to her messy bun, "It seems that you are the one that can't put her hair into a proper rubber band."

"Actually," snapped Rose. "My hair is perfectly fine being in a messy bun."

"**Don't do that!" she exclaimed, shivering at the realization that it had been **_**his **_**fingers touching her.**

**He gave her his lazy, slightly twisted smile and brushed a few pieces of unruly black hair out of his face. "Are you asking me or ****_ordering _****me?"**

"**Shut up." She glanced around, both to avoid his eyes and make sure no one saw them together.**

Christian shook his head. He wished that she was different than the others. He thought, from observing and listening to this story, that Lissa was different than any other girl. But not wanting to be seen with him in public, really took a hit on his ego.

"**What's the matter? Worried about what your slaves'll think if they see you talking to me?"**

"**They're my **_**friends," **_**she retorted.**

"Slave was a better term for that, dear," said Andre.

Lissa rolled her eyes at her older brother.

"**Oh. Right. Of course they are. I mean, from what I saw, Camille would probably **_**do anything **_**for you, right? Friends till the end."**

"Sarcasm will get you nowhere in life," said Rose.

"Says the queen of sarcasm," snorted Mason.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rose, offended. "Not everyone can get the art of being sarcastic down, but it was a nice try on your effort."

**He crossed his arms over his chest, and in spite of her anger, she couldn't help but notice how the silvery gray of his shirt set off his black hair and blue eyes.**

"**At least she isn't like you. She doesn't pretend to be my friend one day and then ignore me for no reason."**

Rose shook her head, "More like my future's self fault."

"We know, Rosie," said Christian.

**An uncertain look flickered across his features. Tension and anger had built up between them in the last week, ever since I'd yelled at Christian after the royal reception.**

"Which you shouldn't have done," said Janine, giving her daughter a disapproving stare.

**Believing what I'd told him, Christian had stopped talking to her and had treated her rudely every time she'd tried to start a conversation. Now, hurt and confused, she'd given up attempts at being nice. The situation just kept getting worse and worse.**

Rose lower her head even more. She hated making her friend in pain.

**Looking out through Lissa's eyes, I could see that he still cared about her and still wanted her. His pride had been hurt, however, and he wasn't about to show weakness.**

"I am a man," said Christian.

"Wow," said Rose. "I thought you were monkey. Thank's for clearing that up for me."

"Hey!" Exclaimed Ivan. "Don't mock monkeys. Their awesome."

"Whatever," said Rose, with a roll of her eyes.

"**Yeah?" he said in a low, cruel voice. "I thought that was the way all royals were supposed to act. You certainly seem to be doing a good job with it. Or maybe you're just using compulsion on me to make me think you're a two-face bitch. Maybe you really aren't. But I doubt it."**

"I'm sorry," said Christian.

Lissa just nodded at him.

**Lissa flushed at the word ****_compulsion – _****and cast another worried look around – but decided not to give him the satisfaction of arguing anymore. She simply gave him one last glare before storming off to join a group of royals huddled over an assignment.**

"Drama queen," said Andre.

**Returning to myself, I stared blankly around the classroom, processing what I'd seen. Some tiny, tiny part of me was starting to feel sorry for Christian.**

"Yeah," said Mia, who has been silent for most of the chapter. "For something that you did to him."

"Your not perfect either, Miss-I-like-to-make-rumors," said Rose.

"That was a weak comeback, Rose," said Mason.

**It was only a tiny part, though, and very easy to ignore.**

"So, Rose, does have some type of heart," said Christian.

**At the beginning of the next day, I headed out to meet Dimitri.**

"Her favorite time of day," said Mason.

**These practices were my favourite part of the day now, partly because of my stupid crush on him and partly because I didn't have to be around the others.** **He and I started with running as usual, and he ran with me, quiet and almost gentle in his instructions, probably worried about causing some sort of breakdown. **

"I', not breakable," said Rose, glaring at Dimitri.

He raise his hands in surrender, "I didn't say you were, now did I?"

"No," admitted Rose.

**He knew about the rumors somehow, but he never mentioned them. When we finished, he led me through an offensive exercise where I could use any makeshift weapons I could find to attack him. **

I bet you loved that," said Andre.

**To my surprise, I managed to land a few blows on him, although they seemed to do me more damage than him. The impacts always made ****_me _****stagger back, but he never budged. It still didn't stop me from attacking, fighting with an almost blind rage. I didn't know who I really fought in those moments: Mia or Jesse or Ralf. Maybe all of them.**

"At least your letting you anger out," said Lissa. "Unfortunately, it is on someone that you don't like."

**Dimitri finally called a break. We carried the equipment we'd used on the field and returned everything to the supply room. While putting it away, he glanced at me and did a double take.**

"**Your hands." He swore in Russian.**

Alberta raised her eyebrows, "It seems that you didn't wear any gloves."

**I could recognize it by now, but he refused to teach me what any of it meant.**

Rose shook her head, with a smile on her face, "Can you teach me to swear in Russian?"

"No!" exclaimed the adults at once.

Rose rolled her eyes at their response.

"**Where are your gloves?"**

"I don't own gloves," said Rose.

**I looked down at my hands. They'd suffered for weeks, and today had only made them worse. The cold had turned the skin raw and chapped, and some parts were actually bleeding a little. My blisters swelled.**

"Painful," said Rose, who looked down at her own hands.

**"Don't have any. Never needed them in Portland."**

"Right," said Ivan. "Probably wasn't that cold, or you just weren't in the cold."

"Maybe," said Rose.

**He swore again and beckoned me to a chair while he retrieved a first-aid kit. Wiping away the blood with a wet cloth, he told me gruffly, "We'll get you some."**

"Awe," said Mia. "How sweet."

**I looked down at my destroyed hands as he worked. "This is only the start, isn't it?"**

"The start of what?" questioned Janine, with a confused look on her face.

"**Of what?"**

"Even my future self is confused," said Dimitri.

"**Me. Turning into Alberta. Her … and all the other female guardians. They're all leathery and stuff. Fighting and training and always being outdoors – they aren't pretty anymore."**

"Hey!" exclaimed Janine, who was seething with anger. "Not everything is about looks."

"I know," said Rose, in a weak voice.

**I paused. "This … this life. It destroys them. Their looks, I mean."**

"Your afraid that this job will destroy your looks?" asked Andre.

"Sometimes," said Rose. "But I never really thought about it until now."

**He hesitated for a moment and looked up from my hands. Those warm brown eyes surveyed me, and something tightened in my chest. Damn it. I had to stop feeling this way around him.**

"I don't think that will happen anytime soon, Rose," said Lissa, with a smile on her face.

"**It won't happen to **_**you. **_**You're too…"**

All the adults raised an eyebrow at him.

**He groped for the right word, and I mentally substituted all sorts of possibilities. ****_Goddesslike. Scorchingly sexy. _**

"I think your pushing it," said Mia. "As seeing that your none of those things."

"Says someone who is jealous." Rose responded.

**Giving up, he simply said, "It won't happen to you."**

"Such a let down," commented rose.

**He turned his attention back to my hands. Did he … did he think I was ****_pretty? _**

**I never doubted the reaction I caused among guys my own age, but with him, I didn't know. The tightening in my chest increased.**

"I guess I really wanted his opinion," mumbled Rose.

"**It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. But not the way she used to be." Bitterly, I added, "Haven't seen her in a while. She could look completely different for all I know."**

Janine looked at her daughter. She knew that she wanted to have a mother daughter relationship with her as Rhea has with Lissa. She didn't know how to go about that. She didn't even know where to start.

"**You don't like your mother," he observed.**

"I think anyone would be able to tell that," said Ivan.

"**You noticed that, huh?"**

"**You barely know her."**

"She doesn't know me either," muttered Rose, underneath her breath.

"**That's the point. She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy."**

Janine sighed, as how she thought her daughter has abandonment issues because of me.

**When he finished cleaning my open wounds, he found a jar of salve and began rubbing it into the rough parts of my skin. I sort of got lost in the feel of his hands massaging mine.**

"I really didn't want to know that," said Andre, with a frown on his face.

"**You say that … but what else should she have done? I know you want to be a guardian. I know how much it means to you. Do you think she feels any differently? Do you think she should have quit to raise you when you'd spend most of your life here anyway?"**

"Their all good questions," said Eric.

**I didn't like having reasonable arguments thrown at me.**

"You just don't like being wrong," said Lissa, with a smile on her face.

"Ture," said Rose, shrugging her shoulders.

"**Are you saying I'm a hypocrite?"**

"**I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be so hard on her. She's a very respected dhampir woman. **

**She's set you on the path to be the same."**

"I never thought about it that way," said Rose.

"**It wouldn't kill her to visit more," I muttered.**

Janine sighed, she had never thought about it.

**"But I guess you're right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores."**

"That was a wrong thing to say," said Ivan, with a dark glint in his eyes.

**Dimitri looked up. "I was raised in a dhampir commune. They aren't as bad as you think."**

"There not," said Abe.

"**Oh." I suddenly felt stupid.**

"That's because your stupid," said Christian.

Rose rolled her eyes at him.

"**I didn't mean – "**

"I think you might have been in shock," said Dimitri, "most people usually don't know what to say when they find out someone lives in a dhampir community."

"**It's all right." He focused his attention back on my hands.**

"**So, did you, like have family there? Grow up with them?"**

"Rose, you sure are nosy," said Mason.

**He nodded. "My mother and two sisters. I didn't see them much after I went to school, but we still keep in touch. Mostly, the communities are about family. There's a lot of love there, no matter what stories you've heard."**

**My bitterness returned, and I glanced down to hide my glare.**

**Dimitri had had a happier family life with his disgraced mother and relatives** **than I'd had with my "respected" guardian mother. He most certainly knew his mother better than I knew mine.**

"Getting to know each other is a two way street," said Eric.

"**Yeah, but … isn't it weird? Aren't there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know?..."**

**His hands rubbed circles into mine. "Sometimes."**

**There was something dangerous in his tone, something that told me this was an unwelcome topic.**

"Brought back some unwanted memories," said Dimitri, sadly.

**"I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something bad…."**

"I'm shocked that you apologized," said Eric.

"**Actually … you probably wouldn't think it's bad," he said after almost a minute had passed.**

**A tight smile formed on his lips. "You didn't know your father, did you?"**

"Now I do," said Rose, without an emotions in her voice.

**I shook my head. "No. All I know is he must have had wicked cool hair."**

Rose received some strange looks.

"What," said Rose, "I like my hair."

**Dimitri glanced up, and his eyes swept me. "Yes. He must have." Returning to my hands, he said carefully, "I knew mine."**

Ivan looked shocked, "I'm surprised that he told you. He never really tells anyone about his father."

Dimitri looked away, feeling uncomfortable, "Shut up!"

**I froze. "Really? Most Moroi guys don't stay – I mean, some do, but you know, usually they just – "**

"**Well, he liked my mother."**

**He didn't say "liked" in a nice way. **

"That's because it wasn't a good thing," said Dimitri, with a cold voice.

**"And he visited her a lot. He's my sisters' father too. But when he came … well, he didn't treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things."**

Rhea and Janine were looking at Dimitri. Both of the woman didn't know what to feel. They couldn't imagine how that would be for Dimitri mother.

"**Like…" I hesitated. This was Dimitri's mother we were talking about. I didn't know how far I could go. "Blood-whore things?"**

"No," said Dimitri.

"**Like beating-her-up kinds of things," he replied flatly.**

"Oh," said Rose, looking down at her lap. She was starting to feel guilty.

**He'd finished the bandages but was still holding my hands.** **I don't even know if he noticed. I certainly did. His were warm and large, with long and graceful fingers. Fingers that might have played the piano in another life.**

Ivan, suddenly burst into laughter. When he calmed down, he said, "Dimitri can't play the piano, but he does sing karaoke."

"Shut up," said Dimitri, who was blushing.

"**Oh God," I said. How horrible. I tightened my hands in his. He squeezed back. "That's horrible. And she… she just let it happen?"**

"**She did." The corner of his mouth turned up into a sly, sad smile. "But I didn't."**

**Excitement surged through me. "Tell me, **_**tell me **_**you beat the crap out of him."**

"Rose," said Lissa, with a smile, "Only you would become excited at beating someone up."

"Not all the time," said Rose.

"That is only when your the one getting bet up." Mason pointed out.

**His smile grew. "I did."**

"**Wow."**

"Speechless," said Christian. "You rendered her speechless. Your my new hero."

**I hadn't thought Dimitri could get any cooler, but I was wrong. "You beat up your dad. I mean, that's really horrible … what happened. But, ****_wow. _****You really are a god."**

"Huh," said Dimitri. "I probably will go into shock over that."

**He blinked. "What?"**

"I guess you did," said Mia.

"**Uh, nothing." Hastily, I tried to change the subject. "How old were you?"**

**He still seemed to be puzzling out the god comment. "Thirteen."**

**Whoa. Definitely a god. "You beat up your dad when you were ****_thirteen?"_**

"**It wasn't that hard. I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldn't let him keep doing that. He had to learn that being royal and Moroi doesn't mean you can do anything you want to other people – even blood whores."**

"You got that right," said Abe, with a hard look in his eyes.

**I stared. I couldn't believe he'd just said that about his mother. "I'm sorry."**

"Wow," said Lissa. "That is the second time that you apologized within several minutes. Your future self really must like him"

"Shut up," said Rose, blushing.

Andre grew angry at that. Why was his girlfriend blushing? Does she like Dimitri? He was currently jealous of hearing this, that he didn't know what to think.

"**It's all right."**

**Pieces clicked into place for me. "That's why you got so upset about Jesse, isn't it? He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhampir girl."**

"Stop on," said Ivan, with a nod of his head.

**Dimitri averted his eyes. "I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all, you were breaking the rules, and…"**

"He's jealous," said Ivan.

**He didn't finish, but he looked back into my eyes in a way that made warmth build between us.**

**Thinking about Jesse soon darkened my mood, unfortunately. I looked down. " I know you heard what people are saying, that I – "**

"**I know it's not true," he interrupted.**

"How?" asked Rose, in surprise. Noone answered her

**His immediate, certain answer surprised me, and I stupidly found myself questioning it. "Yeah, but how do you – "**

"**Because I know you," he replied firmly. "I know your character. I know you're going to be a great guardian."**

"Really?" asked Rose.

"Yes," said Dimitri.

**His confidence made that warm feeling return. "I'm glad someone does. Everyone else thinks I'm totally irresponsible."**

"Your not irresponsible," said Lissa. "You just do something differently than others."

"**With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself …" He shook his head. "No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. You'll do what you have to do to succeed."**

"That's right," said Alberta.

**I thought about that. "I don't know if I can do everything I have to do."**

**He did that cool one-eyebrow thing.**

"You think that raising your eyebrow is cool?" asked Mia.

"Yes," said Rose.

"**I don't want to cut my hair," I explained.**

"You don't need to," said Janine and Alberta at the same time.

**He looked puzzled. "You don't have to cut your hair. It's not required."**

"**All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos."**

"All ready expecting tattoos," said Christian.

"No shit," replied Rose.

**Unexpectedly, he released my hands and leaned forward.**

"About time," muttered Abe, which Janine heard an elbowed him in the ribs.

**Slowly, he reached out and held a lock of my hair, twisting it around one finger thoughtfully. I froze, and for a moment, there was nothing going on in the world except him touching my hair.**

**He let my hair go, looking a little surprised – and embarrassed – at what he'd done.**

"I would have been embarrassed," said Dimitri.

"**Don't cut it," he said gruffly.**

**Somehow, I remembered how to talk again. "But no one'll see my tattoos if I don't."**

**He moved toward the doorway, a small smile playing over his lips. "Wear it up."**

"That is the end of the chapter," said Abe, just as their was a knock on the door. "That will be the food."


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, setting, ect. are the property of there respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks for the review, view, fallows, favorites. Here is the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Third person point of view**

Once everyone was finished eating their dinner, the group sat back down. Dimitri was sitting between Rose on his right and Ivan on his left. Next to Rose was Lissa, then Christian, and Mason who had Andre on his other side. On Ivan's other side was the five adults and Mia.

"So," said Rose, "who will be reading next?"

"I will," said Lissa, grabbing the book from Roses' hand. She eagerly opened up to the correct chapter and started reading.

**I continued spying on Lissa over the next couple of days,**

"Stalker," said Christian.

"Hey," said Rose. "I thought that you were the stalker."

Christian just ignored her.

**feeling mildly guilty each time.**

"I think that anyone would be," said Dimitri.

"Invasion of privacy," said Lissa, playfully glaring at her friend.

**She'd always hated it when I did by accident, and now I did it on purpose. **

"Even thought I had a good excuse," Rose muttered.

"Hey," said Lissa. "At least I'm finding out about it."

"True," said Rose.

**Steadily, I watched as she reintegrated herself into the royal power players one by one. She couldn't do group compulsion, but catching one person alone was just as effective, if slower.** **And really, a lot didn't need to be compelled to start hanging out with her again.**

"That's the truth," said Mason.

"The royal game," said Andre, with a scowl on his face.

**Many weren't as shallow as they seemed; they remembered Lissa and liked her for who she was.**

Anyone one would," said Christian, with a light blush on his cheeks.

**They flocked to her, and now, a month and a half after our return to the Academy, it was like she'd never left at all. And during this rise to fame, she advocated for me and rallied against Mia and Jesse.**

"True friendship," said Mia.

"Don't forget that it is because of you," said Rose.

"I know." Mia snapped.

Lissa read ahead so that Rose and Mia didn't start another argument.

**One morning, I tuned into her while she was getting ready for breakfast. She'd spent the last twenty minutes blow-drying and straightening her hair, something she hadn't done in a while.**

"It takes forever," said Lissa, with a whine.

**Natalie, sitting on the bed in their room, watched the process with curiosity. When Lissa moved on to makeup, Natalie finally spoke.**

"About time," said Ivan. "I think that it would be creepy having someone watch you while your doing your hair."

"And you would know about that, how?" asked Dimitri, with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Oh," said Ivan, a bit embarrassed. "Shut up."

"**Hey, we're going to watch a movie in Erin's room after school. You going to come?" I'd always made jokes about Natalie being boring, but her friend Erin had the personality of dry wall.**

"How can a dry wall have personality," said Ivan, confused.

"**Can't. I'm going to help Camille bleach Carly's hair."**

"Totally more important," said Rose, flipping her brownish black hair.

"Right," said Andre, giving her a weird look.

"What?" asked Rose, shrugging her shoulders. "I can act like a girl."

"Sometimes," said Lissa.

"**You sure spend a lot of time with them now."**

"**Yeah, I guess." Lissa dabbed mascara across her lashes, instantly making her eyes look bigger.**

"**I thought you didn't like them anymore."**

"**I changed my mind."**

"For revenge," Andre, pointed out.

"It doesn't sound like fun," said Christian.

"**They sure seem to like you a lot now. I mean, no that anyone wouldn't like you, but once you came back and didn't talk to them, they seemed okay ignoring you too. I heard them talking about you a lot. I guess that's not surprising, because they're Mia's friends too, but isn't it weird how much they like you now? Like, I hear them always waiting to see what you want to do before they make plans and stuff. And a bunch of them are defending Rose now, which is **_**really **_**crazy. Not that I believe any of that stuff about her, but I never would have thought it was possible – "**

"Wow," said Abe. "Take about constantly babbling. I could get annoyed at her very quickly. I'm glad that she isn't my daughter."

"She does talk to much," said Rose, trying to fill in the awkward silence.

**Underneath Natalie's rambling was the seed of suspicion, and Lissa picked up on it.**

"I think that anyone would pick up on it," said Christian, "if they were smart enough."

**Natalie probably never would have dreamed of compulsion, but Lissa couldn't risk innocent questions turning into something more. "You know what?" she interrupted. "Maybe I will swing by Erin's after all. I bet Carly's hair won't take that long."**

"Or Natalie knows something," said Dimitri.

**The offer derailed Natalie's train of thought. "Really? Oh wow, that would be great. She was telling me how sad she was that you're not around as much anymore, and I told her …"**

"Again with the constant babbling," said Andre, with a roll of his eyes. "How do you put up with sharing a same rom as her."

"I'm not," said Lissa. "I don't share the same room as her. If you don't remember that this book is in the future."

"I know," said Andre, trying to defend himself. I'm just into it."

**On it went. Lissa continued her compulsion and return to popularity. I watched it all quietly, always worrying, even though her efforts were starting to reduce the stares and gossip about me.**

"Worrying but happy at the same time," said Christian. "Are you sure your not bipolar?"

"No," snapped Rose.

"**This is going to backfire," I whispered to her in church one day. "Someone's going to start wondering and asking questions."**

"I'm still surprised that you willingly went to church," said Lissa.

"Well," said Rose, "I'm full of surprises."

Of coarse you are, dear," said Ivan, making Andre frown and Mason glare.

"**Stop being so melodramatic. Power shifts all the time around here."**

"**Not like this."**

"**You don't think my winning personality could do this on its own?"**

"**Of course I do, but if Christian spotted **_**it **_**right away, then someone else will – "**

"Your afraid that I will be caught," said Lissa.

"Yeah," said Rose, with a sigh.

**My words were interrupted when two guys farther down the pew suddenly exploded into snickers. Glancing up, I saw them looking right at me, not even bothering to hide their smirks. **

**Looking away, I tried to ignore them, suddenly hoping the priest would start up soon.**

"You really hate that kind of attention," said Janine, with a weird expression on her face.

"It's a bad reputation," said Rose, with a frown on her face.

**But Lissa returned their looks, and a sudden fierceness flashed across her face. She didn't say a word, but their smiles grew smaller under her heavy gaze.**

Rhea groaned, "Don't tell me that your using compulsion in a church?"

Lissa continued reading, and didn't bother to answer her mother.

"**Tell her you're sorry," she told them. "And make sure she believes it."**

"And your doing to two people at once," said Eric, frowning.

**A moment later, they practically fell over themselves apologizing to me and begging for forgiveness. I couldn't believe it. She'd used compulsion in public – in church, of all places.**

_**And **_**on two people at the same time.**

"I probably was in shock," admitted Rose.

**They finally exhausted their supply of apologies, but Lissa wasn't finished.**

"I think that is going a bit overboard," said Andre, with a frown on his face.

**That's the ****_best _****you can do?" she snapped.**

**Their eyes widened in alarm, both terrified that they'd angered her. **

"**Liss," I said quickly, touching her arm. "It's okay. I, uh, accept their apologies."**

"I think that your overusing compulsion too much," said Dimitri, as he stared between Rose and Lissa.

**Her face still radiated disapproval, but she finally nodded. The guys slumped in relief. Yikes. I'd never felt so relieved to have a service start. **

"Are you sure that your not religious, Rose?" asked Christian.

"No, I'm not," said Rose. "I rather sleep in on Sundays than getting up."

**Through the bond, I felt a sort of dark satisfaction coming from Lissa. It was uncharacteristic for her, and I didn't like it.**

"That doesn't sound good," said Ivan.

**Needing to distract myself from her troubling behaviour, I studied other people as I so often did. Nearby, Christian openly watched Lissa, a troubled look on his face. When he saw me, he scowled and turned away.**

"Why would I want to look at you," snapped Christian.

**Dimitri sat in the back as usual, for once not scanning every corner for danger. His attention was turned inward, his expression was almost pained. I still didn't know why he came to church. He always seemed to be wrestling with something.**

"Probably something that happened towards me," said Dimitri, "or I could have just went to church. I always did with my family."

**In the front, the priest was talking about St. Vladimir again.**

"**His spirit was strong, and he was truly gifted by God. When he touched them, the cripple walked, and the blind could see. Where he walked, flowers bloomed."**

"I think that he just gave everyone an answer," said Dimitri, looking between Rose and Lissa.

**Man, the Moroi needed to get more saints – "**

**Healing cripples and blind people?**

**I'd forgotten all about St. Vladimir. Mason had mentioned Vladimir bringing people back from the dead, and it had reminded me of Lissa at the other things had distracted me.**

"Yeah," said Mason, with a blank expression on his face. "With Jesse and Mia are two of the major causes and then watching Lissa. I can say that you seem rather busy."

**I hadn't thought about the saint or his "shadow-kissed" guardian – and their bond – in a while. How could I have overlooked this?**

"I think anyone can if their not looking for that question," said Rhea. She was glad that she was using her time to help her daughter. Even if it didn't happen overnight.

**Ms. Karp, I realized, wasn't the only Moroi who could heal like Lissa. Vladimir could too.**

"**And all the while, the masses gathered to him, loving him, eager to follow his teachings and hear him preach the word of God…"**

**Turning, I stared at Lissa. She gave me a puzzled look. "What?"**

"Anyone would be confused with your facial expressions," said Christian.

"Maybe it's just you," responded Rose.

**I didn't get a chance to elaborate – I don't even know if I could have formed the words – because I was whisked back to my prison almost as soon as I stood up at the end of the service.**

"It must be rather boring staying in your room for quite some time," said Ivan.

"It probably was for someone who is outgoing," said Rose, with a frown on her face. She really hated that feeling.

**Back in my room, I went online to research St. Vladimir** **but turned up nothing useful. Damn it. Mason had skimmed the books in the library and said there was little there. What did that leave me with? I had no way of learning more about that dusty old saint. Or did I? What had Christian said that first day with Lissa?**

"I guess that it was useful to listen in to Lissa's and Christian conversation," said Rhea, offhandedly.

_**Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir.**_

"That was helpful," said Christian.

"I think that their still in the church," said Alberta.

"Then maybe you can ask the priest if we can look through them?" asked Eric, with a smile on his face.

"Sure," said Alberta, writing something down on a piece of paper.

**The storage room above the chapel. It had the writings. Christian had pointed them out. I needed to look at them, but how? I couldn't ask the priest. How would he react if he found out students were going up there? It'd put an end to Christian's lair. But maybe … maybe Christian himself could help.**

"Would you help Rose?" asked Lissa.

Christian frowned, "Maybe."

**It was Sunday, though, and I wouldn't see him until tomorrow afternoon. Even then, I didn't know if I'd get a chance to talk to him alone.**

**While heading out to practice later, I stopped in the dorm's kitchen to grab a granola bar.**

"Practice on Sunday," said Rose, with a frown on her face. "What is this world coming to?"

**As I did, I passed a couple of novice guys, Miles and Anthony. Miles whistled when he saw me.**

"I think they are going to be trouble," said Mason.

Rose frowned. "They are always trouble. Nothing changed with them."

"**How's it been going, Rose? You getting lonely? Want some company?"**

**Anthony laughed. "I can't bite you, but I can give you something else if you want."**

"It didn't seem that everyone didn't get the memo," said Andre, glaring at the book.

**I had to pass through the doorway they stood in to get outside. Glaring, I pushed past, but Miles caught me around the waist, his hand sliding down to my butt.**

"Don't these boys know that it is sexual harassment?" asked Abe.

"I don't think that they do," said Alberta, "or that they really care."

"**Get your hands off my ass before I break your face," I told him, jerking away. In doing so, I only bumped into Anthony.**

"At least their isn't a teacher around," said Ivan.

"But they might hurt, Rose," said Lissa.

"True," said Ivan. "But she did just threaten him. They could try and use it against her, and get her kicked out of the academy."

"I never thought about that," said Rose, with a frown on her face.

"**Come on," Anthony said, "I thought you didn't have a problem taking on two guys at the same time."**

"Creep," said Mia.

"Well," said Rose, giving a dark chuckle, "I wouldn't have to put up with them if you didn't start spreading rumors around about me."

"It could be someone else," said Mia, trying to defend herself.

"No one is that stupid to go against me," said Rose.

**A new voice spoke up. "If you guys don't walk away right now, ****_I'll _****take both of you on." Mason. My hero.**

"About time someone showed up," said Janine. A small smile spread across her face, as she looked at Mason. "Thank you."

"**You're so full of it, Ashford," said Miles. He was the bigger of the two and left me to go square off with Mason. Anthony backed off from me, more interested in whether or not there'd be a fight. There was so much testosterone in the air, I felt like I needed a gas mask.**

"Oh, Rose," said Lissa. "Sometimes you are very strange."

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't strange," Rose replied.

"**Are you doing her too?" Miles asked Mason. "You don't want to share?"**

"Don't they know that your in the same room," said Ivan.

"I don't think that they really care," said Rose, shrugging her shoulders.

"**Say one more word about her, and I'll rip your head off."**

"I wish that I could see that," said Rose, with a sigh.

"**Why? She's just a cheap blood – "**

"Your not going to like that, Mason," said Rose.

"Of coarse not," said Mason, with a scoff. "Your my friend."

**Mason punched him. It didn't rip Miles' head off or even cause anything to break or bleed, but it looked like it hurt. His eyes widened, and he lunged toward Mason. The sound of doors opening in the hall caused everyone to freeze. Novices got in a lot of trouble for fighting.**

"I still find that rule weird," said Rose. "As long that dhampirs aren't fighting someone younger or someone that isn't a dhampir then I really don't see a problem with it."

"Of coarse you wouldn't," said Mason. "You like all the physical fighting."

"Only sometimes," said Rose.

"**Probably some guardians coming." Mason grinned. "You want them to know you were beating up on a girl?"**

"I'm not going to like being compared to a girl," said Rose.

"But you are," said Ivan. "Or do you forget that."

"No, I haven't," said Rose, crossing her arms.

**Miles and Anthony exchanged glances. "Come on," Anthony said. "Let's go. We don't have time for this."**

**Miles reluctantly followed. "I'll find you later, Ashford."**

"I don't think that they would," said Mason.

**When they were gone, I turned on Mason. "Beat up on a girl'?"**

"I was right," said Rose, with a grin on her face.

"**You're welcome," he said drily.**

Janine narrowed her eyes," You didn't even thank him. Those guys could have done something horrible to you..."

"I know!" shouted Rose.

"**I didn't need your help."**

"She's lying," said Lissa.

"**Sure. You were doing just fine on your own."**

"**They caught me off guard, that's all. I could have dealt with them eventually."**

"**Look, don't take being pissed off at them out on me."**

"**I just don't like being treated like … a girl."**

"You are a girl, Rose," said Lissa, with an amused smile on her face.

"**You **_**are **_**a girl. And I was just trying to help."**

"Arguing over stupid shit," said Ivan.

**I looked at him and saw the earnestness on his face. He meant well. No point in being a bitch to him when I had so many other people to hate lately.**

"**Well … thanks. Sorry I snapped at you."**

"About time that you have apologized," said Janine.

**We talked a little bit, and I managed to get him to spill some more school gossip. He had noticed Lissa's rise in status but didn't seem to find it strange. As I talked to him, I noticed the adoring look he always got around me spread across his face. It made me sad to have him feel that way about me. Guilty, even.**

Mason frowned, and looked at Rose. He wondered if this was the reason why she ran away from him when he kissed her. Did she even like him? Or did she only like him as a friend?

**How hard would it be, I wondered, to go out with him? He was nice, funny, and reasonably good-looking. We got along. Why did I get caught up in so many messes with other guys when I had a perfectly sweet one here who wanted me? Why couldn't I just return his feelings?**

Mason looked towards the ground. He wasn't happy. So she didn't like him because she likes Dimitri. Is it possible that she might like him now? He only was able to hope.

**The answer came to me before I'd even finished asking myself the question. I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent.**

Damn that accent, Mason thought.

"I guess it is a good thing to have an accent," said Ivan. "Chicks love them."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, "Chicks only fall for your horrible pick up lines."

**Mason continued watching me admiringly, oblivious to what was going on in my head. And seeing that adoration, I suddenly realized how I could use it to my advantage.**

"Rose," said Rhea, fondly. "I didn't think you would ever do that to someone who is your friend?"

Rose looked to the ground in shame. She, also, has a lot of thoughts going through her head.

**Feeling a little guilty, I shifted my conversation to a more flirty style and watched Mason's glow increase.**

"You could of just asked me," said Mason. "I probably would have done it anyways. Unless it is involving Stan somehow."

**I leaned beside him on the wall so our arms just touched and gave him a lazy smile. "You know, I still don't approve of your whole hero thing, but you did scare them. That was almost worth it."**

"**But you don't approve?"**

"She just like kicking guys buts," said Lissa. "It make her feel like she is in power."

"Lissa," said Rose, faking seriousness. "That was supposed to stay a secret."

"Oh, well," said Lissa, shrugging her shoulders.

**I trailed fingers up his arm. "No. I mean, it's hot in principle but not in practice."**

**He laughed. "The hell it isn't." He caught hold of my hand and gave me a knowing look.**

"I think that I'm getting the wrong idea," said Mason.

"Anyone would," muttered Andre, darkly.

**"Sometimes you need to be saved. I think you like being saved sometimes and just can't admit it."**

"That's the truth," muttered Rose.

"**And I think **_**you **_**get off on saving people and just can't admit it."**

"**I don't think you know what gets me off. Saving damsels like you is just the honorable thing to do," he declared loftily.**

"I don't want to hear you flirting with my daughter," said Abe, groaning.

"I don't think none of the adults really want to hear about this," said Eric.

**I repressed the urge to smack him over the use of ****_damsels._**

"Of coarse you would have," said Lissa. "Just not Mason, but someone else."

"**Then prove it. Do me a favor just because it's 'the right thing to do.'"**

"**Sure," he said immediately. "Name it."**

"You should have asked first," said Christian. "Before saying that you would do something."

"**I need you to get a message to Christian Ozera."**

"Wow," said Christian. "I didn't know that I'm so horrible."

"Your not," said Lissa, seriously.

**His eagerness faltered. "What the – ? You aren't serious."**

"I was not expecting that," said Mason.

"**Yes. Completely."**

"Couldn't you just walk up to Christian and ask him personally," said Ivan.

"No," said Rose, "that is just too much work."

"**Rose… I can't talk to him. You know that."**

"Hey," snapped Christian.

"Sorry," said Mason."Bad habit."

"**I thought you said you'd help. I thought you said helping 'damsels' is the honorable thing to do."**

"**I don't really see how honor's involved here." I gave him the most smoldering look I could manage. He caved.**

"Any guy would have," said Mason.

"Actually any straight guy would have," said Andre.

"**What do you want me to tell him?"**

"It seems that you gave in," said Ivan.

"**Tell him I need St. Vladimir's books. The ones in storage. He needs to sneak them to me soon. Tell him it's for Lissa. And tell him … tell him I lied the night of the reception." I hesitated. "Tell him I'm sorry."**

"You could have done that yourself," said Rhea.

"I know," said Rose, looking ashamed.

"**That doesn't make any sense."**

"Only I would probably known," said Christian.

"**It doesn't have to. Just do it. Please?" I turned on the beauty queen smile again. **

**With hasty assurances that he'd see what he could do, he left for lunch, and I went off to practice.**

"You didn't even wait for a response," said Dimitri.

"That's cause I knew that he was going to do it," said Rose, like it was the obvious thing in the world.

"That is the end of the chapter," said Lissa. "Who should read next."

"How about, Rosie, since they are you thoughts," said Christian.

"Fine," said Rose. "But you get the next chapter after me. And don't call me Rosie."


End file.
